UBRARY 
SCHOOL 


REESE  LIBRARY 

OF  THK  I 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


DESCRIPTIV  LIST 


OF 


BOOKS  FOR  THE  YOUNG 


W  :  M.  (iRISWOLl) 


CAMBRIDGE,   MASS  : 

W  :  M .  GRISWOLD,  Publishkh 
1895. 


)oo 


<X- 


Descriptiv     Lists    of     Historical    Novels,    Part    I., 
Ancient  Life,  Price  $.50. 
Part  II.,   History  of  North-America,    Price  $  1.00 

The  new  course  in  modern  novels,  offered  at  Yale  this  term  for  the 
first  time  by  Dr.  W  :  L.  Phelps,  is  attracting  wide  attention.  So  far 
as  the  instructor  is  aware,  there  exists  no  similar  course  in  any  collegi- 
ate institution  in  the  country.  Its  introduction  at  Yale  is  one  of  the 
signs  of  the  growth  of  interest  in  English  literature  here. 

Last  year  L)r.  Phelps  conducted  a  large  class  of  seniors  and  juniors 
throu  a  study  of  the  Elizabethan  drama.  It  occurred  to  Dr.  Phelps 
that  a  systematic  study  of  the  modein  novel  would  nho  be  valuable. 
Accordingly  the  announcement  of  the  course  was  made,  and  over  250 
men  elected  it  in  the  two  upper  classes.  The  plan  was  to  consider  one 
novel  each  week,  the  students  reading  it  and  writing  a  one-page  criti- 
cism on  each,  and  the  instructor  lecturing  every  Friday  morning  on  the 
novel  for  that  week.  As  it  was  thot  few  men  would  be  able  to  read  at 
that  rate  in  addition  to  their  other  studies,  a  list  of  15  novels  was 
announced  last  June  in  order  that  as  many  as  cared  t6  do  so  might  read 
them  during  the  summer.  When  the  students  scattered  t6  their  homes 
at  the  end  of  the  June  term  and  began  their  reading,  many  of  their 
friends  became  interested  in  the  subject,  and  also  decided  to  read  the 
books  selected,  so  that  many  outside  of  Yale  ar  now  taking  up  these 
works  from  a  critical  standpoint  in  accord  with  the  spirit  of  the  course. 
The  course  is  wholly  experimental  this  year,  and  its  continuance  de- 
pends on  the  degree  of  success  attained  with  the  present  class,  the  size 
of  which  prevents  instruction  by  discussion,  and  necessitates  lecturing. 
If  numbers  and  enthusiasm  count  for  anything,  it  is  safe  to  say  the 
course  will  be  permanent  and  will  be  imitated  elsewhere.  The  ten 
books  which  hav  been  selected  for  consideration  up  to  the  Christmas 
recess  ar:  'Lorna  Doone,'  by  Blackmore  ;  'Marcella,'  by  Mrs.  Ward; 
'A  Modern  Instance,'  by  Howells;  'Esther  Waters,'  by  Moore; 
'A  Gentleman  of  France,'  by  Weyman  ;  'Treasure  Island,'  by  Stevenson  ; 
'The  Luck  of  Roaring  Camp,  and  Other  Stories,'  by  Bret  Marte ; 
'The  Phantom  Rickshaw,'  etc.,  by  Kipling;  -A  Suburban  Pastoral,' 
etc.,  by  Prof.  Beers;  'Trilby,'  by  l)u  Maurier. 

During  the  winter  term  only  foreign  novels  will  be  considered,  includ- 
ing Tolstoi's  'Anna  Karenina' ;  'Fathers  and  Sons,"  by  Turgenef ;  'The 
Children  of  the  World,'  by  Heyse ;  'Dame  Care,' by  Sudermann.  In 
the  spring  term  tiie  class  will  again  take  up  American  and  English 
novels,  including  Hardy's  'Tess  of  the  D'Urbervilles,  and  'Far  From 
the  Madding  Crowd';  'The  Manxman,'  by  Caine,  and  'Lord  Ormont 
and  His  Aminta,'  by  Meredith.  Thirty  different  works  will  be  revued 
in  all,  and  the  majority  of  them  will  be  by  living  autliors.  [A.  R.  T- 
In  N.-Y.  Post.  5  Oct.  1895. 


Index  to  St.  Mcholas,  Vols.  I.-XXI.,  Price  $1. 


•J 


LIST  OF  AUTHORS. 


The  niimbei  following  name  is  that  printed  at  end  of  the  notice. 
The  numbers  to  which  li  is  prefixed  may  be  found  on  pages  21-97, 
seg.-118. 


Anonymous,  etc. 

Alice  of  Fobbing 807 

Among  the  Mountains.      980 

Arabian  Nights Ill 

Belt  and  Spur 811 

Blue  Banner    430 

Boys  and  girls  of  Revo- 
lution     hl612 

Children  of  the  chapel .  .     822 

City  in  the  sea 1226 

Home  life  of  English  la- 
dies         860 

Jack  Halyai'd Ill 

J:  F:  the  Magnanimous,  1129 
Little  Rosy's  Travels ...     960 

Little  Specldy   3650 

Mabinogion   773,  774 

Munchhausen     3925 

Northern  lights 1315 

Notes  for  boys 180 

Phaulcon 553 

Princess  Use    3872 

Robinson  Crusoe    .  . .  Ill,  341 
Sanford  and  Merton  .  .  .     878 

Siegfried  1110 

Swanhilde    3827 


Swiss     Family     Robin- 
son     Ill,  342 

Undine    1332 

Ways  for  boys 60 

Abbot,  W.  J: 1805 

Abbott,  E :   75 

Adams,  H.  C 863 

.  W:  H.  D 425 

Aesop    3601 

Aguilar,  G- 804 

Ailven,  Lucy 2350 

Alcott,  L.  M.  .  .3940,  4020,  4025 

Alden,  W:  L 115 

Aldrich,  T:  B 4030 

Alger,  H 4035 

Allen,  W.  B 4045 

Alton,  E 2005 

Andersen,  H.  C.  .  .2350,  3765-68 

Andrews,  J 2300,  2705 

Archer,  T:    945 

Ariosto  2450,  2455 

Atherstone,  E 785 

Baldwin,  Ja 1112,  1277 

Ballantyne,  R.  M 370,  850 


1  r\  f\ 


LIST   OF   AUTHORS. 


Ballard,  J.  P.  (P.)  3105 

Bamford,  M..  E 2850 

Baikley,  H.  C 887 

Barr,  A.  E 866,  2050 

Bartlett,  M.  C 4055 

BasHi,  G 3830 

Baunibach.,  E. 3915 

Baxter,  S 2110 

Beard,  A.  B 125 

,  D.  C 40 

Bedolliere     3640 

Beesly  —  (     ),  1211 

Besant,  W 856 

Black,  W:    831 

Bogai-t,  W:  H Iil720 

Bourne,  H.  F 825j 

Bowman,  A 707 

Braboui'ne,  Lord 3710 

Brentano,  C 3790 

Brooks,  E.  S 275,  300 

,  Noah    Ii2133 

Brush,  C.  (C.) hl390 

Bryant,  W:  C 2425 

Buckley,  A.  (B.)    .  . .  .2700,  2830 

Buckley,  J.  M 85 

liulfinch,  T:   773 

Bunce,  J:  T 3700 

Burch,  H.  E 1072 

Burnand,  H.  C 878 

Bui-nett,  F.  H 893 

Little  Lord   Fauntleroy, 
see  Eomantic  Novels, 
No.  793. 
Butterworth,  H.,  703,  750,  896, 

1450. 
Bynner.  E.  L hi  835 

Cabal leio    :>>840 

Cahun,  L 430 


Oallwell,  F.  M 950 

Cameron,  V.  L 397 

CampbeU,  C.  (C.) 2827 

,  H 4065,  4067 

,  T:    2425 

Oarove     3855 

OaiToU,  L:   3935 

Carryl,  C:  E 3937 

Catlin,  G:  hl900 

Cervantes    1012 

Chambers,  W:  268 

Champlin,  J:  D.,  30,  35,   2500, 

h2294. 
Champney,  E..  (W.),  710,  1190, 
1210,    1375,    2200,    2505;— 
h877,  h967. 

Cheney,  C.  E h2295 

Chesnez     961 

Church,   A.    J:,    772,    817,    834, 
1216,  1218. 

Clacy,  E 846 

Clarke,  M..  (N.)   2396 

Coffin,  C:  C,  1955,  hl613,  h2291, 
h2298. 

Coleridge,  C.  R 1125 

Conant,  H..  S 3100 

Coolidge,  S.,  735,  3905,  4075, 4077 
Cooper,  Ja.  F. 

Deerslayer    hlOlO 

Last  of  :\rohicans hl047 

Miles  Wallingford    hl770 

Pathfinder    hl020 

Pilot    hl400 

Prau'ie  hl658 

Red  Rover  hl080 

Spy  hl425 

Stories  of  Prairie  hl659 

Ta\^o  Admirals  865 

Wvandotte     hl225 


LIST  OP   AUTHORS. 


Ck)rbett,  J 825 

CoryeU,  J:  R 1016 

Cowper,  F 783,  819 

,  W:   2425 

Cox,  G.  W 1273 

,  M.  M 4085 

,  P 3498,  3501 

Oraigin,  L.  T Ii2121 

Crailv,   D.  M.    (M.),   3702,   3899, 

3900. 

Crake,  A.  D:   790 

Crowninshield,  M..  (B.),  120,  970, 

1500. 


Dalton,  W:,  500,  553,  585,  600, 
670,  2220. 

Damon,  W:  E 3000 

Dana,  R:  H:,  2d 4315 

Dante    2450 

D'Anvers,  N h595 

Dai-TV'in,  C:  Ro 25 

Daunt,  A 1470 

Davis,  M.  E.  M h2245 

Day,  L.  B 3750 

Defoe,  D 341 

De  Liefde,  J 1065 

De  Mille,  Ja 1248 

De  Morgan,  M 3715 

De  Witt  960m 

Diaz,  A.  M 4095 

Dod,  S.  B 870 

Dodge,  M..  (M.),  1055,  1090,  4105 

Douglas,  Marian  hl615 

Doyle,  A.  C 857,  1014 

Drake,  S:  A 1715 

Drysdale,  W: 2115 

Du  Chaillu,  P 1333 

Dumas,  A.  [D.] 3881 


E.,  A.  L.  0 460 

Earle,  A.  M hl655 

Edgar,  J:  E.,  265,  722,  800,  837 

Edgeworth,  M 2350 

Eggleston,     E:,     3910,    4120;— 
li575,  1700,  li2052. 

,  G:  C hl947 

Enault,  L 2905 

Everett,  W:   4130 

Ewing,  J.  H.  (G.) 891,  2825 

Eyster,  N.  (B.)   4140,  li630 

Farjeon,  B:  L 393 

Farrar,  C.  A.  J 1505 

,  F:  W 280,  881 

Farrington,  M.  V 781 

Ffenn,  G:  M 2240 

Field,  E.  M 845 

Fisher,  A.  B 2700,  2830 

Fletcher,  R.  H 4150 

Fouque,  935,  1332,  3850 

Franklin,  B:    225 

Freeman,  E:  A: 788,  812 

,  J.  E 818 

French,  H:  W 575 

Frith,  H:    1232 

Froissart     935 

Garrison,  W.-P 25 

Gibbon,  E:   812 

Gibeme,  A 858 

Gibney,   S 799 

Gilliat,  E 798,  808 

Gillies,  M 836 

Gilman,  A 1213,  2375 

Goldsmith,  0 2350 

Goodwin,  M.  W hi  653 

Goss,  W.  L h2255,  2256 

Gould,  S.  B 3725 


ill 


LIST   OF   AUTHORS. 


Grant,  Ja. 
,  Bo. 


1135 

1475 

Greenwood,  G 2385,  2800 

Greey,  E: 605,  610,  615 

Griffis,  W:  E 3755 

Grimm,  J.  &  W: 3775 

H.,  H 4160 

Hacklander,  F:  W: 3815 

Hakliiyt    h  590 

Hale,  E:  E.,  1000,  2340;— hl672 

,  L.  P 1000,  4170 

Hallowell,  S..  C 4180,  4181 

Hamlin,  G 175 

Hanson,  C.  H 780 

HaiTis,  J.  C Ii2280 

Hauff,  W:   3738-3740 

Hawtliorne,  N.,  250,  255,  1270, 
1271;— I166O,  675,  695. 

Henslowe,  J.  E 855 

Henty,  G:  A.,  392,  394,  398,  403, 
406,  407,  440,  465,  718,  771, 
786,  787,  838,  849,  861,  867, 
872,  874,  946,  955,  1020, 
lil065,  1075,  1076,  1224, 
1365,  1373,  1374;— li570, 
1065,  2260. 

Herbert,  H:  W:  809,  844 

Herodotos 1278 

Hi^ginson,  T:  W...h590,  h2067 

Hoare,  E :  1073 

Hoffmann,  E.  T.  W: 3785 

,  F 1162,  3805 

Holbrook,  K 55 

Holder,  C:  F:   1620,  2907 

Holt,  E 869 

Homer    1273,  1280 

Hope,  A.  R.,  295,  310,  hl680, 
1850. 


Hoppin,  A 4185 

Howard,  0.0    4190 

Howells,  W:  D.,  315,  3950,  b2103 

Howitt,  W:   809m 

Hughes,  T:  4315 

Hume,  D :  812 

Humplirey,  F..  A 4192 

Hunt,  L 2450 

Ingersoll,  E 2820 

Trying,  W. 

Alhambra 1005 

Crayon  Miscellany   ....  1004 

Chronicle  of  Grenada  .  .  1008 

Jak,    78,   80,   2750,    2751,    4195, 

4200. 
James,  G:  P.  R.  .  .832,  841,  854 

Jamison,  C.  V 4360,  4365 

Jewett,  S..  0 4210,  4215 

Johnson,  R 4225,  4230 

Joinville    722 

June,  Jenny  135 

Kellogg,  W.  L hl766 

Kemble,  F..  A 3800 

Ker,  D:  1360 

Kingsley,  C: 

Hereward   789 

Heroes     1272 

Waterbabies     3885 

Westward  Ho!    824 

Kingston,  W:  H.  G.,  349,  350, 
765,  873,  2226;— hl955. 

Kipling,  R 3615 

Kirkland,  E..  S.,  130,  131,  185, 
925. 

Knight,  C:    825s 

Knowles,  J.  T 778 


iv 


LIST   OF   AUTHORS. 


Knox,  T:  Wallace,  380,  390, 
395,  405,  415,  510,  550,  555, 
705,  755,  898,  1200,  1300, 
1350,  2100,  2205,  2258, 
2345;— hl799. 

La  Bedolliere,  E.  de 3640 

Laboulaye,  E:    3743 

Lamartine,  A.  de 821  v 

Lamb,  O:   1280,  2395 

Lang,  A 325 

Lanier,  Sidney 774,  779,  935 

Leander,  R:  .' 3819,  3820 

Leighton,  Ro.  .  .  .770,  799k,  1335 

Lermontof    730 

Lillie,  L.  C 4240 

Lloyd,  E 839 

Longfellow    20,  2425 

Loring,  J.  S hlOlO 

Lossing,  B.  J:   1800 

Longhead,  F.  H 97 

Lowell,  J.  R 2425 

,  Ro 4250 

Lulvin,  Ja 65,  70 

Lummis,  C:  F 1680 

Lyail,  Edna   852 

Lytton 786m,  1221,  1280 

Mabie,  H.  W 1330 

Macaulay,  Lord 2425 

,  Ja 285 

MaoDonald,  G 3895 

McDnff,  J:  R 1236 

Mace,  J: 47,  150,  151 

Mackarness   60,  61 

Malory,  T:   779,  780 

Manson,  Gr:  J 90 

Markham,  R:   4260 

Mairyat,  F:,  343,  344,  835,  862, 
1465. 


Marsh,  J.  B 796 

Marshall,  E.  (M.) 853 

Mary-Lafon    776 

Matthews,  B 4270 

,  0 3845 

May,  Sophie 4280,  hl790 

Mayhew,  H 1127 

Menzies,  L.  L.  J 782 

Merrill,  G:  W.  720 

Mller,  O.  T.  .  .  .2835,  2840,  4290 

Milman,  H.  H 812 

Molesworth,  M.  L 885,  962 

Monroe,  A.  F 1705 

Morris,  E 95 

Morrison,  J.  C 812 

Munroe,  K,  100,  114,  h572,  1625, 
1626;— h620. 

Musaens    3780 

Musset,  Paul  de 3880,  3881 

Napier    786p 

Nesbitt,  M.  L 200 

Newhall,  C.  S 2810 

Nichols,  L.  D 4300 

Meritz,  G 1160,  1162,  3870 

Noble,  L.  A 1070 

Noel,  M 3115 

Nordhoff,  C: 105,  110,  2000 

Norway,  G 1320 

Ober,  F.  A 400,  990,  2150 

Ogden,  Ruth   hl750 

Oliphant,  3Ia.  O.  (W.),  821,  847 

Opie,  A 2350 

Optic,  Oliver 4304-20 

Otis,  Ja 4330,  4335,  4340 

Ourliac,  E:  3881 

Page,  T:  N h2250,  h2275 

Palgrave,  F 812 

,  F.  T 2430 


LIST   OF   AUTHORS. 


Parton,  Ja 270,  280 

Patmore,  C 2425 

Peard,  F.  M 801,  805,  843 

Peattie,  E.  W 1115 

Pendleton,  L:    4350 

Perrault    3708 

Petersen,  M 3872,  3874 

Pollard,  A 1212 

Porter,  J 802 

Pratt,  M..  E 4375 

Preston,  H.  W 1220 

Pressense,  E.  (D.)  de 962k 

Pulci    2450 

Pyle,  H.,  795,  810,   1118,  3825, 
lil940. 

Rajii     3750 

Easpe    3925 

Rathbone,  A..  (M.) 785k,  848 

Eay,  0 1155 

Ea\Tnond,  E 4385 

Reid,  Mayne,  112,  380,  420,  833, 

li2056. 
Richards,  L.  E..,  2845,  3625,  4395 

Richter    3795 

Riddle,  A.  G Iil960 

Rideing,  W:  H:   895,  1490 

Ripley,  A.  P 851 

Roberts,  a  E 2760 

Robertson,  T.  C 812 

Roe,  A.  S 4410 

Romannt,  C 345 

Roscoe     812 

Roiisselet    475 

Ruskin     3865 

Saintine    15 

Sand,  G:  3879 


Scbwatka    385 

Scott,  Wa.: 

Betrothed   7951 

Count  Robert 715 

Ivanhoe     794 

Kenilworth     823 

Redgamitlet   871 

Tales  of  a  grandfather.  111, 
830. 

Talisman     792 

Waverley    864 

Woodstock   842 

Scndder,  H.  E.,  20,  22,  760,  1050, 
1325,     1550,    hl645,     2350, 
3890. 
Seawell,    M.    E.,    hl420,   hl800, 
hl945/ 

Sewell,  E.  M 812 

Shakspere 750,  2395,  2400 

Shaw,  F.  L 889 

820 

3720 

3515 

940 

320 


Shelley,  M.  W.  (G.) 
Shelton,  F.  W.  ... 
Sherman,  F.  D.  .  . 
Simms,  W:  G.  ... 

Smiles,  S :  

Smith,  M.  P.  W.,  1520,  4420-24, 
h2075. 

Soley,  Ja.  R 1803,  1900 

Sophokles   1273 

Soiithey,  R 2425 

Sp^Ti,  J 980-85 

Stables,  G 353 

StaiT,  F:  2605 

Steele,  Ro 775 

Stephens,  C:  A 1503 

,  Ja 812 

Stevenson,  E.  1 868 

,Ro.  L:  ....815,  h965 

Stewart,  A 1276 


vl 


LIST   OF   AUTHORS. 


Stockton,  F.  R: 

Beeman     3732 

Floating  Prince 3731 

Jolly  fellowship 1628 

Personally  conducted  .  .     740 
Roundabout  rambles  •  .  .       17 

Story  of  Viteau 03>0 

Tales  out  of  school 18 

Tiug-a-ling    3730 

Watchmaker    3733 

Wliat  mgt  hav  been .  . .   4430 

Stoddard,  R:  H:  3736 

,  W:  O.,  1570,  1685;— 

hl657,  h2125,  h2400,  4440. 

Stowe,  H.  (B.)  2805 

Fncle  Tom's  cabin,  see 
List  of  Romantic  Nov- 
els, No.  995. 

Stuart,  E 963 

Swett,  S 4450 

Tanner,  J:    hl950 

Tasso    4448-50 

Taylor,  31 435 

Thackeray    3737 

Thanet    4460 

Thomas,     Martha     M  c  - 

Cannon     h2235 

Thompson,  M 45 

Thornbiu-y,  Wa 829 

Tinseau   964 

Todd,  0:  B 1725 

Tolstoi     1372 

Towle,  G:  M.,  355,  360,  365,  410, 

825a. 


Treat,  M..  S 3110 

Trowbridge,    J:    T.,    4470-96;— 
hl767,  h2200. 

True,  C.  K h641 

Tyrrell,  H:    700 

Vandergrift,  Ma 3665 

Verne,  J 3930 

Viollet-le-Duc     50 

Walsh,  W;  S 2600 

Warner,  C;  D h640 

Watson,  E.  H 1244 

,  H:  G hl677 

,  Lily 1145 

Weir,  Ja hl716 

Wells,  H.  P 1504 

Westall,  W:  956 

Wliipple,  E.  P 280 

^Tiitoomb,  LP 2550 

Whitney,  A.  D.  (T.),  3005  4502-07 

Wiggin,  K..  D 4515-17 

Wilbraham,  F.  M 814 

WUkins,  M..  E 4525 

Williams,  F 826-28 

Wood,  J:  G: 2815 

Woodman,  C;  H hl612 

Wordswdrth     2425 

Wright,  H.  C 305,  1710 

,  S.  A 4535 

Wys,  J:  R 342 

Yonge,  C.  M..,  777,  806,  813,  816, 

840,  859,  883,  1370,  3704. 
Young,  A 1060 


UNIV^J^SITY    ' 


BOOKS  FOR  THE  YOUNG. 


GENERAL. 

CHATTERBOX.  [Estes.]  "The  bound  volume  of  an  English 
weekly  which  has  a  large  sale.  It  is  not  difficult  to  see  why.  The 
pictures  ar  not  as  a  rule  too  good;  the  poems  ar  generally  of  a 
domestic  character;  there  ar  anecdotes  of  canine  sagacity,  short 
papers  upon  natural  history,  little  moral  tales, — even  Boccaccio  is 
called  into  service, — riddles,  and  bits  of  advice,  the  whole  very 
cheap."     [Atlantic.  5 

LITTLE  ONE'S  ANNUAL.  [Estes.]  "  An  annual  made  of  weekly 
issues,  but  less  of  a  scrapbook  than  Chatterbox.  It  is  of  a  hier 
order  of  art  and  literature.  There  is  a  brightness  of  appearance 
in  the  fair  tjq^e  and  sketchy  pictures  which  counts  for  a  good  deal 
in  the  attraction  of  the  book."     [Atlantic.  10 

ST.  NICHOLAS,  Harper's  Young  People,  and  the  older  period- 
icals for  children — ^TS^ideawake,  Riverside,  and  Om*  Young  Folks — 
ar  too  wel  known  to  require  mention  here. 

DAME  NATURE  AND  HER  THREE  DAUGHTERS  [by  "  X. 
B.  Saintine,"  i.  e.,  Jo.  X.  Boniface:  Houghton,  18G9]  'Ms  a  book 
which  shos  much  aptitude  for  interesting  and  instructing  the  young. 
No  parent  need  be  at  hand  when  his  bright  boy  or  girl  is  reading 
it,  for  it  expounds  itself  and  holds  fast  the  reader,  who  thinks  he 
is  told  the  most  channing  stories  when  he  is  really  listening  to 
lectures  on  the  origin  of  common  things,  like  cotton-thread,  silk, 
sugar,  pasteboard,  etc.,  all  «f  which  is  evolvd  out  of  a  dispute  in 
the  game  of  guessing — arising  from  that  very  important  first  ques- 
tion, 'Is  it  animal?  Is  it  vegetable?  Is  it  mineral?'  Grand- 
papa's conversation  abounds  in  humor  and  tender  sentiment,  and 
the  little  folks'  responses  ar  wonderfully  natural."     [Nation.       15 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

EOUNDABOUT  RA^IBLES  in  Lands  of  Fact  and  Fancy  [by 
Fr.  E:  Stockton:  Scribner,  1872]  "is  the  best  book  for  children 
we  hav  had  the  pleasui'e  of  reading  in  a  long  time.  There  is  a 
collection  of  illustrations,  and  a  short  story,  varying  from  a  page 
and  a  half  to  several  pages  in  length,  fitted  to  each  one.  All 
the  stories  ar  told  so  apparently  'con  amore'  that  it  seems  as 
if  the  authoi'f  must  hav  had  a  hand  in  choosing  his  subjects.  ]Mr. 
Stockton  has  an  unusual  combination  of  qualifications  for  tell- 
ing stories  to  the  young.  He  not  only  narrates  with  spirit,  but 
with  an  excellent  perception  of  what  is  interesting  from  a  child's 
point  of  vue.  .  .  Many  stories  illustiute  this  trait,  but  none 
better  than  '  Building  Ships.'  No  natural  boy  with  the  least 
turn  for  a  boat  or  for  tools  could  read  that  simple  description 
of  how  to  construct  a  toy  vessel,  without  a  glo  and  a  desire 
to  get  to  work.  Another  qualification  is  the  author's  sense  of 
responsibility — a  trait  which  in  lively  story-tellersi  is  so  frequently 
and  sadly  lacking.  Perhaps  it  is  simply  instinctiv  good  judgment 
and  refined  moral  feeling,  and  not  a  distinct  intention  of  quietly 
encom-aging  what  is  good,  and  as  quietly  suppressing  or  turning 
aside  what  is  ruf  or  coarse  or  sentimental  in  the  thot  of  the 
juvenile  audience;  but  it  sounds  very  thotful  and  paternal.  .  . 
One  story  alone,  *  Going  after  the  Cows,'  wil  perhaps  be  relished 
rather  more  by  the  elders  than  the  little  boys  whom  it  describes; 
but  it  is  really  a  gem  of  its  kind,  and  we  would  on  no  account 
spare  it.  The  author  seems  to  betray  a  Pennsylvania  origin  or 
training,  not  more  by  his  Quaker -like  gentleness  of  spirit  than 
by  his  persistent  use  of  wil  in  place  of  shal,  and  by  several  other 
peculiarities,  more  or  less  failings  of  the  Keystone  State.  '  Little 
Bridget's  Bait '  6t  to  be  mentioned  as  an  exceedingly  nice  speci- 
men of  innocent  fairy-story,"     [Nation.  17 

TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL  [by  Fr.  K:  Stockton:  Scribner, 
1875]  "wil  be  sufQciently  described  and  commended  when  we  say 
that  it  is  another  '  Roundabout  Rambles.'  It  is  an  inexhaustible 
fund  of  amusement  and  instruction.  A  Itired  teacher,  armed 
with  it,  might  convert  a  dul  day  into  a  perfectly  delightful  sea- 
son."    [Nation.  18 

THE  BODLEYS  TELLING  STORIES,  [by  Horace  Elisha  Scud- 
der:  Houghton,  187G.]  "  These  stories  wil  find  an  attentiv  audience. 


GENERAL.. 
/ 

These  embrace  some  account  of  historic  buildings  in  Boston, 
sketches  of  Joseph  Warren  and  Patrick  Henry,  the  Goffe  and 
Whalley  legend,  the  life  of  Andersen,  an  abstract  of  '  Evangeline,'  a 
glance  at  the  mysteries  of  tyjje-setting  and  stereotyping,  a  sugges- 
tion of  the  charms  of  Hyannis,  and  kindred  matters."  [Nation.] — 
"  It  is  a  curious  medley,  but  it  wil  delight  the  young  folk  of  either 
sex,  and  wil  introduce  them  agreeably  to  several  branches  of  learn- 
ing which  ar  apt  to  be  distasteful  at  the  start.  It  consists  of  leg- 
end, romance  and  poetry, — old  songs  and  music, — adaptations  of 
Mother  Goose;  negro  fables  in  dialect;  descriptions  of  Arab  street- 
life  in  New  York;  an  animated  account  of  the  invention  of  the 
art  of  printing;  ballads,  anecdotes  and  allegories.  All  these  varied 
contents  ar  ingeniously  woven  into  a  narrativ  of  the  doings  of  the 
Bodley  family  from  day  to  day,  and  :Mr.  Scudder  manages  his 
story-telling  so  wel  that  nothing  appears  to  be  lugged  in  for  pur- 
poses of  instruction,  but  each  new  thing  is  the  natural  outgrowth 
of  some  incident  or  conversation.  The  illustrations  ar  as  various 
and  almost  as  entertaining  as  the  reading-matter."  [Appleton's.  20 
THE  BODLEYS  AFOOT,  [by  H.  E.  Scudder:  Osgood,  1879.] 
"  The  young  Bodleys  ar  unfailingly  real,  and  they  ar  always  set 
about  something  delightful.  Not  all  of  them  ar  afoot  this  time;  in 
fact  it  is  only  Nathan  who  walks  to  Hartford  with  his  cousin 
Ned.  The  great  sensation  of  the  book  is  Martin's  marvelous 
brother  Hen,  who  looms  from  the  other  side  of  the  world,  choke- 
full  of  hau'-breadth  escapes  and  all  manner  of  adventures  by 
land  and  by  sea.  Few  ar  the  events  in  which  Hen  has  had  no  part; 
few  the  bhds  and  beasts  he  has  not  seen;  few  the  queer  and  fas- 
cinating things  he  cannot  do.  What  Nathan  hears  is  much  more 
than  what  he  sees,  for  at  every  interesting  point  of  his  journey 
somebody  starts  with  the  story  of  the  locality.  It  is,  fortunately, 
nearly  always  a  story  of  the  Redmen,  and  the  colonial  annals  ar 
thus  turned  over  to  charming  purpos.  Throughout  the  book,  if  any 
curious  or  remarkable  thing  is  mentioned,  as  a  song  or  an  adventure 
of  any  kind,  Mr.  Scudder  satisfies  the  excursiv  instinct  of  children 
by  bringing  it  in,  and  once  in  it  has  its  own  fitness.  He  does  this 
with  entire  boldness,  and  with  an  imaginable  wink  to  the  older 
reader.  Mr.  Scudder  makes  his  Bodleys  as  interesting  as  any- 
thing they  hear;  and  there  is  some  verv  fresh  material  treated 


BOOKS   FOR   THE   YOUNG. 

with  uncommon  cleverness  in  tlie  sketches  of  those  old-fashioned 
Hartford  people,  the  kinsfolk  of  the  Bodleys,  which  we  commend  to 
all  who  like  New  England  life."     [Atlantic.  22 

WHAT  MR  DARWIN  SAW  [by  Wendell-Phillips  Garrison: 
Harper,  1880]  is  an  "  admirably  arranged  selection  from  Darwin's 
voyages.  It  has  been  this  very  judicious  editor's  idea  to  tel  stories 
of  animals,  men,  localities,  and  nature  in  the  language  of  the  great 
naturalist,  and  he  has  found  that  this  addi'esses  itself  as  clearly 
and  charmingly  to  the  young  as  to  the  old.  It  is  a  book  of  ex- 
tracts from  Darwin's  Voyage  round  the  World,  and  these  ar  given 
with  the  least  possible— and  it  is  extremely  little — modification  or 
rearrangement.  The  accounts  of  wild  animals  fitly  come  first; 
those  of  wild  men  folio;  and  geography  and  abstracter  natural 
history,  meteorology,  etc.,  ar  delightfully  insinuated  in  then'  order. 
Some  pages  ar  added  giving  biographical  sketches  of  the  notable 
persons  named  in  the  extracts ;  there  ar  good  maps,  and  an  abund- 
ance of  excellent  illustrations.  We  commend  the  book  heartily  for 
the  wisdom  of  its  conception  and  its  thoro  acceptability.  One 
could  hardly  choose  a  book  for  an  intelligent  boy  which  would 
more  successfully  appeal  to  his  love  of  nature,  or  more  pleasingly 
acquaint  him  with  the  great  master  in  the  literature  of  science." 
[Atlantic.  .  25 

THE  YOUNG  FOLKS'  CYCLOPAEDIA  OF  COMMON 
THINGS,  [by  J:  D.  Champlin:  Holt,  1879.]  "  How  many  questions 
you  young  folks  ask  of  older  ones  every  day!  Some  of  these  the 
old  folks  answer;  but  sometimes  they  ar  too  busy,  and  sometimes 
they  don't  kno.  And  how  many  questions  you  would  like  to  ask 
that  you  never  do  ask,  for  fear  of  being  troublesome!  Now,  if 
you  hav  one  of  these  cyclopaedias,  instead  of  asking  questions 
you  look  in  your  book  and  there  is  your  answer.  A  cyclopaedia, 
you  kno,  does  not  merely  giv  definitions,  like  a  dictionary.  It 
tels  a  good  deal  about  everything  which  it  mentions  at  all.  For 
instance,  if  a  boy  wishes  to  kno  about  bees,  he  can  turn  to  the 
word  '  Bee '  in  the  cyclopaedia  and  find  out  all  about  their  habits 
and  food.  A  girl  hears  a  good  deal  about  the  telephone,  but  does 
not  understand  what  it  is.  She  will  find  it  described  in  this 
cyclopaedia  in  language  which  she  can  comprehend.  The  book  is 
in  one  volume,  and  is  of  a  convenient  size  to  keep  on  your  book- 


AMUSBJCENTS   AND    OCCUPATIONS. 

shelvs  at  home,  or  to  take  to  school  with  you.  It  does  not  in- 
clude history,  but  is  full  of  interesting  facts,  and  contains  niuner- 
ous  pictui'es  which  help  to  make  the  meaning  plain.  It  is 
printed  in  clear,  distinct  type,  on  good  paper."     [St.  Nicholas.     30 

AMUSEMENTS  AND  OCCUPATIONS. 

THE  YOUNG  FOLKS'  CYCLOPAEDIA  OF  GAMES  AND 
SPORTS,  [by  J:  D.  Champlin:  Holt,  1890.]  "If  happiness  de- 
pends upon  games — and  they  hav  doubtless  something  to  do  with 
it — the  young  people  of  the  present  day  6t  to  be  happier  than  any 
of  their  predecessors;  for  in  this  book  they  can  learn  something 
about  every  game  known  to  civilized  life,  and  certainly  no  such 
collection  has  ever  appeared  before.  Moreover,  the  natm'al  tend- 
ency of  boys,  when  not  engaged  in  activ  out-door  exercise,  to  test 
the  various  forces  of  nature,  is  fostered  by  a  number  of  chemical 
and  mechanical  experiments,  which  it  is  to  be  hoped  ar  not  as 
dangerous  as  they  look.  The  account  of  whist  gives  all  the  recent 
additions  to  the  '  American  leads '  now  so  generally  adopted." 
[Nation.  35 

WHAT  TO  DO  AND  HOW  TO  DO  IT.  [by  Daniel  Carter 
Beard:  Scribner,  1882.]  "There  is  hardly  one  of  the  familiar 
sports  and  amusements  of  boys,  12  years  and  upwards,  which  is 
not  here  explained  and  described.  These  and  many  which  ar  un- 
familiar ar  noticed  under  the  headings  of  the  seasons  to  which  they 
ar  most  appropriate.  There  is  a  long  chapter  on  kites  which  might 
instruct  even  the  Chinese ;  and  one  on  '  Knots,  Bends,  and  Hitches,' 
which,  with  that  on  '  Rigging  and  Sailing  of  Small  Boats,'  forms 
the  best  two  in  the  book.  That  on  '  How  to  Camp  without  a  Tent ' 
has  a  good  many  useful  hints.  .  .  There  is  an  excellent  chapter 
on  taxidermy,  and  one  on  sleighs  and  sno-shoes;  and  the  book 
concludes  with  a  list  of  indoor  amusements."     [Nation.  40 

THE  BOYS'  BOOK  OF  SPORTS,  [ed.  by  Maurice  Thompson: 
Centmy  Co.,  188G.]  "Few  books  ar  better  fitted  to  awaken  in 
boys  a  healthy  impulse  for  out-door  life.  It  opens  with  a  tale  of 
'  Marvin  and  his  Boy  Hunters,'  in  which  Instruction  in  the  use  of 
fire-arms  is  very  sldlfully  and  entertainingly  given.  This  is  fol- 
loed  by  chapters  on  archery,  fishing,  boat-building  and  sailing. 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

camping,  swimming,  photograpliing,  etc.,  and  ending  with,  a  capi- 
tal account  of  base-ball,  in  which  the  science  of  effectiv  pitching 
is  taut.  These  ar  by  different  writers,  as  C:  L.  Norton,  D.  C. 
Beard,  and  W:  L.  Alden,  who  uniformly  sho  gTeat  cleverness  in 
their  explanations  and  du^ections;  those  on  boat-building  and  ice- 
sailing  especially  being  models  of  accurate  and  simple  description. 
The  illustrations  ar  all  admu'able."     [Nation.  45 

GR.VND-PAPA'S  AEITHMETIC,  a  Story  of  two  Little  Apple 
Merchants,  [by  Jean  Mace :  N.  Y.,  Wynkoop,  1868.]  "  We  kno  no 
children's  books  which  ar  so  unique  as  those  of  Mace,  in  whose 
'History  of  a  Mouthful  of  Bread,'  the  chemistry  of  food  was 
made  as  charming  as  a  fairy  tale.  The  present  volume  is  equally 
delightful,  with  a  fairy-like  element,  shoing  how  a  wise  little 
girl,  in  the  wonderful  time  of  Long  Ago,  taut  her  little  brothers, 
Save-all  and  Scatter,  who  sold  the  most  mai'velous  of  all  apples 
for  the  invariable  price  of  eight  tocai's  each,  the  mysteries  of 
addition,  subtraction,  multiplication,  and  division,  not  forgetting 
fractions.  This  may  seem  a  very  common  and  dul  thing  to  do, 
but  it  is  neither  dul  nor  common  to  our  author,  who  enters 
upon  his  task  with  the  feelings  of  a  chUd  and  a  poet."  [The  Al- 
bion. *  47 

LEARNING  TO  DRAW,  [by  Viollet-le-Duc :  Putnam,  1880.] 
"  The  first  pages,  which  ar  quite  level  with  the  childish  comprehen- 
sion, alone  make  the  book  worth  buying;  but  there  ar  many  pas- 
sages and  pages,  if  not  chapters,  scattered  throu  the  volume  which 
the  youthful  reader  could  profit  by  without  an  instructor.  Frag- 
ments of  Mr.  Majorin's  discourse  with  Jean  about  geometry,  per- 
spectiv,  comparativ  anatomy,  geolog}^,  contour  levels,  the  Alps, 
Pompeii,  etc.,  wil  interest  any  boy  or  girl,  whUe  the  varied  and 
skilful  illustrations  wil  pique  curiosity  or  teach  direct  lessons  of 
truth  and  beauty."     [Nation,  50 

HOW?  [by  Kennedy  Holbrook:  Worthington,  1886.]  "Much 
may  here  be  learned  about  the  making  of  toys,  boats,  cars,  baskets, 
whirligigs,  blo-pipes,  cornstalk  fiddles,  compasses,  birds,  snakes, 
leather  work,  portraits,  windmUls,  stencUs,  telescopes,  circles,  pano- 
ramas, etc.,  etc.;  with  information  about  divers  art  processes,  in- 
chiding  photography,  about  the  keeping  of  aquaria,  the  arrange- 
ment of  conjuror's  tries  and  of  certain  physical  experiments." 
[Nation.  6  55 


AMUSEMENTS   AND    OCCUPATIONS. 

WAYS  FOE  BOYS  [Lothrop,  1887]  ''  tels  youngsters  in  a  concise 
but  clear  way,  aided  by  diagrams,  how  to  make  Idtes,  tents,  men- 
ageries, boats  and  sno-shoes.  There  ar  also  simple  instructions 
for  walking,  skating,  and  tree  culture — this  last  chapter  being  the 
most  useful  in  the  book."     [Nation.  60 

THE  BOY  ENGINEERS  [by  Ja.  Lukin:  London,  1877;  Putnam, 
1878]  "  deals  with  the  mystery  of  the  lathe,  and  stimulates  the 
inventiv  faculty  by  shoing  how  two  lads  made  shift  with  a  contriv- 
ance which  seems  very  antiquated  beside  the  kon  lathes  now 
made  for  boys  at  a  wonderfully  lo  price.  The  instruction  is  here 
thrown  into  the  form  of  a  story,  which  relieves  it  of  much  of  its 
dryness.  These  heroes  of  the  workshop  make  M'^ooden  does  with 
automaton  figures,  an  organ,  a  house,  presently  a  steam-engine; 
indulge  in  wood-carAdng;  and  finish  with  some  experiments  in 
electricity.  Not  every  boy  can  profit  by  this  book,  but  where 
nativ  aptitude  is  present  it  wil  be  found  useful."     [Nation.         65 

THE  YOUNG  MECHANIC  [by  J  a.  Lukin,  London;  Putnam, 
1871]  "  does  not  fall  behind  its  pretensions,  and  may  be  recom- 
mended without  reserv.  Its  directions  ar  simple  and  perspicuous, 
by  one  who  evidently  knoes  how  to  do  what  he  describes;  and 
if  careful  adherence  to  them  could  be  insured,  it  is  probable  that 
a  much  greater  nimiber  of  l)oyish  experiences  in  carpentry  and 
joinery  would  bear  fruit  and  determin  future  training  than  now 
do  for  want  of  just  this  disciplin."     [Nation.  70 

LONG  LOOK  HOUSE  [by  E:  Abbott:  Boston,  Noyes,  1876]  "is 
addressed  to  boys  from  8  to  12.  It  begins  at  the  very  beginning  of 
the  House — its  planning — and  reaches  the  final  moving  into  it  of 
the  family;  not  an  inch  of  the  process  is  slurred  over.  Materials 
and  staking  out  fil  each  a  chapter ;  next  we  hav  plumbing,  heating 
apparatus,  etc.  The  subject  in  each  case,  except  liting  by  gas  and 
waterworks,  is  elucidated  in  conversations  with  (or  at)  Max,  aged 
six,  who  is  the  most  attentiv  child  we  ever  met.  His  father  often 
talks  for  pages  A\ithout  interruption  on  the  boy's  part,  and,  in 
fact,  the  dramatic  part  of  the  story  goes  for  nothing.  Thotful 
boys  of  enquiring  minds  6t  to  enjoy  the  details  of  house-building, 
whicli  ar  clearly  and  sunply  described."     [Nation.  75 

THE  FITCH  CLUB,  [by  "  Jak,"  i.  e.,  Annie  Bowles  Williams: 
CroweU,  1885.]     "  Mr.  Fitch,  the  carpenter,  is  the  hopeful  friend 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

of  the  lads,  allowing  work  to  be  done  in  his  shop,  organizing 
the  Club  which  sets  them  all  to  doing  something,  and  arranging 
the  platform  where  they  can  hav  then'  lectures.  The  young 
people  hav  a  printed  paper,  and  the  stories,  dialogs,  and  other 
compositions  ar  too  natural  not  to  be  genuin.  The  tone  is  ex- 
cellent, the  language  is  excellent  and  the  story  is  short."  [Bos- 
ton '•  Lit.  World."  78 

PKOFESSOR  JOHNNY,  [by  "  Jak,"  i.  e.,  Annie  Bowles  Wil- 
liams :  Crowell,  1887.]  "  This  writer  is  sensible,  and  has  struc  a 
good  line  of  work.  This  little  book  has  to  do  with  experiments  in 
physics,  and  employs  the  usual  apparatus  of  boys  and  gh'ls  and 
their  elders."     [Atlantic.  80 

OATS  OR  WILD  OATS?  [by  J.  M.  Buckley:  Harper,  1885.]  "  A 
survey  is  attempted  of  various  professions  and  occupations  from 
farmer  to  dentist,  and  advice  is  given  on  the  choice  to  be  made, 
as  also  upon  various  other  subjects  of  conduct.  The  multiplicity 
of  subjects  saves  the  writer  from  being  tedious  on  any  one  of  them, 
but  the  common-sense  and  commonplace  ar  pretty  interchange- 
able."    [Atlantic.  85 

EEADY  FOR  BUSINESS  [by  G:  J.  Manson:  Phil'a,  Penn  Pub. 
Co.,  1889]  "  is  designed  to  giv  young  men  some  idea  of  the  leading 
professions,  of  the  special  qualities  required  for  success  in  them, 
and  the  course  of  study  necessary  for  learning  them  .  .  the  author 
treats  the  electrical  engineer,  the  chemist,  the  architect,  the  banker, 
the  broker,  the  sea-captain,  and  many  others,  as  wel  as  of  the 
older  '  learned  professions.'  "     [Critic.  90 

FARMING  FOR  BOYS  [by  Edmund  Morris  (1804-74):  Ticknor, 
1868]  "  is  very  pleasant  reading,  if  understood  to  be  a  romance ;  it 
would  be  a  good  book  for  general  cu'culation,  containing  many 
valuable  hints,  and  lilcely  to  help  and  teach  country  boys  and 
gu'ls  that  their  lives  need  not  be  all  drudgery.  Boys  and  girls, 
of  course,  must  be  entertained,  and  they  like  stories,  like  to  dream 
of  making  money  and  doing  all  sorts  of  hard  work  if  they  ar  to 
gro  suddenly  rich  by  it;  and  as  a  stimulus  to  their  imagination 
this  kind  of  agricultural  pap  may  be  nourishing  and  excusable." 
[Nation.  *  95 

THE  ABANDONED  CLAIM  [by  Flora  Haines  Longhead: 
Houghton,  1891]  "tels  of  three  children  of  a  San  Francisco  me- 


AMUSEMENTS   AND    OCCUPATIONS. 

chanic,  suddenly  thrown  upon  theii'  own  resources,  who  decide 
to  take  up  Government  land  for  a  home.  Their  farming  exper- 
iences ai'  wel  related,  and  make  an  interesting  story,  albeit  things 
really  run  a  little  too  smooth  for  probability.  The  tone  isf  serious 
without  being  dul."     [Nation.  97 

UNDEK  ORDERS,  the  Story  of  a  Young  Reporter,  [by  Kirk 
Munroe :  l*utnams,  1891.]  "  ]VIi\  Mum'oe's  reporter  has  this  advant- 
age over  some  in  life,  that  his  destiny  is  arranged  for  in  advance, 
and  is  sure  to  be  a  fortunate  one;  but  then  he  was  gifted  with 
pluc,  and  the  snobbishness  with  which  he  set  out  in  activ  life  was 
only  skin-deep.  The  story  lets  the  reader  into  the  language  of 
the  reporter's  business,  and  is  no  more  misleading  than  is  any 
narrativ  of  activ  life  wherein  the  writer  selects  character  and  cir- 
cumstance; but  we  suspect  that  the  young  collegian  who  takes 
it  for  his  guide-book  will  exhaust  its  capacity  for  instruction  or 
inspiration  pretty  rapidly."     [Atlantic.  100 

MAN-OF-WAR  LIFE  [by  C:  Nordhoff:  1855,— new  ed.,  Dodd, 
188o]  "  is  a  graphic  picture  of  a  bygone  time.  In  1855  it  was  stil 
true  enuf  to  the  life,  tho  the  events  recorded  occurred  some  10 
years  earlier.  It  is  now  history,  and  at  every  succeeding  decade 
its  value  wil  be  found  to  liav  increased  instead  of  diminished.  .  . 
The  book  is  a  good  antidote  for  an  unreasoning  desu'e  to  'go  to 
sea,.'  At  the  same  time  it  wil  gratify  harmless  curiosity  about 
life  afloat,  describing  technical  matters  with  great  clearness." 
[Nation.  1 05 

THE  MERCHANT  VESSEL  [by  C:  Nordhoff:  Dodd,  1884]  'Ms 
a  gi-aphic,  ti'uthful,  and  most  interesting  account  of  the  author's 
experiences  as  a  sailor."     [Nation.  110 

THE    STORY    OP    .TACK    HAL-  'Tales    of    my    Grandfather,'    and 

YARD  the  Sailor  Boy.    [Designed  for  '  .Tack   Halyard.'      Wherever  I  hav 

American  children  by  W:  S.  Cardell.  found    a   person — man    or    woman — 

.30th    ed..    by    M.    T.    Leavenworth:  who  had  access  to  these  books  at 

Phil'a,  Uriah  Hunt,  183-3.]  "  If  I  wer  the  age  of  10  or  12,  I  hav  heard  that 

asked  how  the  general  education  of  they    wer   all    read   throu    with    in- 

our  people  could  be  most  advanced  tense    delight,    not    only    read,    but 

at  a  slight  cost  and  trouble,  I  should  read  over  and  over  again,  when  no 

say,  supply  every  child  with  copies  other  books  possessed  an  equal  at- 

of   '  Robinson    Crusoe,'    '  The    Swiss  traction    or    gave    equal    pleasure. 

Family  Robinson,'  the  Fairy  Tales,  And  in  many  of  these  cases  I  hav 

'  The      Arabian      Nights,'      Scott's  heard  that  this  reading  exercised  a 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


very  important  influence  upon  the 
habits  and  tastes  of  the  individual, 
and  gave  a  fondness  for  study,  after 
they  had  been  loolied  upon  as  hope- 
less dullards  by  schoolmates  and 
parents.  The  wonderful  romances 
gave  the  first  impulse  to  their  think- 
ing faculties,  enchanted  their  imagi- 
nations, taut  them  the  meaning  of 
many  words  seldom  used  in  ordin- 
ary conversation,  familiarized  them 
with  fine  literary  styles,  gave  them 
a  hi  idea  of  the  pleasure  to  be  de- 
rived from  reading,  and  in  fine,  laid 
the  foundation  for  all  their  subse- 
quent intellectual  cultivation.  Giv 
a  child  these  books,  and  if  he  hav 
any  capacity,  he  wil  not  thereafter 
wait  til  books  ar  brot,  but  wil  hunt 
for  them  and  thus  educate  him- 
self." [Hesperian,  1863.  Ill 
RAN  AWAY  TO  SEA.  [by  [T:] 
Mayne  Reid:  Ticknor,  1858.] 
"  Had  we  a  son  at  school,  of  vaga- 
bondish  propensities  and  daring 
withal,  we  should  take  an  early  op- 
portunity of  slipping  this  volume 
into  his  hand.  It  is  written  clev- 
erly euuf,  but  in  the  intensest  melo- 
dramatic style.  The  young  hero  is 
supposed  to  hav  done  what  the 
title  indicates,  and  to  hav  caut  a 
terrible  Tartar  for  his  pains.  He 
elopes  from  the  neborhood  of  a  sea- 


port in  the  West  of  England,  and 
ships  on  board  a  vessel  which 
turns  out  to  be  a  slaver.  The  bru- 
tality into  which  he  is  plimged  is 
almost  sickening,  nor  ar  the  scenes 
on  the  coast  of  Africa,  the  chase  by 
a  man-of-war  cruiser,  the  '  middle  ' 
passage,  the  burning  of  the  slaver, 
and  the  escape  on  the  raft,  less 
tliicly  studded  with  horrors."  [Al- 
bion. 112 

DORYMATES.  [by  Kirk  Munroe: 
Harper,  1889.]  "  Few  callings  excel 
that  of  deep-sea  fishermen  in  its 
varied  dangers  and  hardships. 
These  ar  most  graphically  described 
in  this  book.  '  Breeze '  McCloud,  a 
very  winning  lad,  courageous  and 
unselfish,  is  picked  up  at  sea  by  a 
Gloucester  fishing  schooner  when  an 
infant,  and  adopted  by  the  captain. 
As  soon  as  he  is  old  enuf,  he  ships 
for  a  cruise  for  early  mackerel  off 
Cape  Hatteras.  During  the  next 
few  months  one  adventure  felloes 
another  in  rapid  succession,  bringing 
in  almost  all  the  misfortunes  which 
could  befall  a  fisherman.  Several 
times  he  goes  adrift  in  a  dory,' is 
lost  in  the  fog,  caut  by  the  ice, 
imprisoned  in  an  iceberg,  seized  by 
an  octopus,  as  well  as  kidnapped 
and  shipwrecked."    [Nation.  114 


THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  GHOST  [by  W:  L.  Alden:  Harper,  1881] 
"is  a  most  delightful,  exciting,  plausible,  and  intoxicating  little 
book,  and  those  lads  who  hav  a  love  of  the  water  and  of  boats  wil 
regret  that  it  is  not  continued  in  the  same  vein  throu  an  unlimited 
number  of  volumes."     [Nation.  115 

PLUCKY  SMALLS  [by  M..  (Bradford)  Crowninshield :  Lotlu'op, 
1889]  "  givs  a  capital  description  of  the  life  of  an  apprentice  on 
board  of  a  man-of-war  [?  not  a  school-ship  like  those  maintained 
by  the  states  of  Mass.  and  N.  Y.?— W:  M.  G.].  The  hero  is  a 
wharf-rat  who  givs  an  account  of  himself  and  his  adventures  in  a 
natural  and  modest  w^ay,  which  makes  him  a  very  attractiv  and 
interesting  little  character."     [Nation.  120 


10 


AMUSEMENTS   AND    OCCUPATIONS. 


THE  AMERICAN  GIRL'S  HANDY  BOOK,  [by  Adelia  Bell 
Beard  and  M..  Caroline  Beard:  Scribner,  1887.]  "It  would  be 
hard  to  find  a  better  gift  for  a  girl  fond  of  using  her  fingers  and 
pleasing  her  friends  than  this  book.  It  covers  some  of  the  ground 
of  the  'American  GMs'  Home-book  of  Work  and  Play/  but  is 
superior  to  tliat  in  respect  of  the  novelty  and  variety  of  information 
given  as  to  making  fancy  and  useful  articles.  The  chJipters  on 
'Furniture,  Old  and  New,'  and  on  'Seaside  Cottage  Decoration,' 
ar  especially  charming.  Tlie  authors  must  be  among  the  most 
ingenious  of  then-  sex.  Their  instructions  ar  clear,  and  accompan- 
ied by  a  great  many  excellent  illustrations,  which  at  once  embel- 
lish tlie  text  and  aid  much  the  reader's  comprehension.  We  also 
find  suggestions  for  pastimes  and  pleasures  for  every  season  of 
the  year,  and  some  of  the  games  described  embody  unusual  novelty. 
The  hints  given  for  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas  merriment  ar 
capital.  Then,  too,  the  different  kinds  of  topics  ar  nicely  inter- 
mingled, so  tliat  Aveariness  is  avoided."     [Nation.  125 

SIX  LITTLE  COOKS,  [by  E..  Stansbury  Kirkland:  Cliicago, 
McClurg,  1877.]  "We  ar  introduced  to  a  household  of  cousins 
whom  an  Aunt  Jane  inspires  with  an  almost  fatiguing  zeal  for 
learning  how  to  cook.  ...  A  praiseworthy  versatility  enables  the 
author  to  keep  up  the  form  and  the  interest  of  a  story,  and  now 
by  a  picnic,  or  again  by  a  bu-thday,  or  unexpected  company,  or  the 
cook's  holiday,  or  the  mistress's  ilness,  to  furnish  a  pretext  for  the 
intervention  of  the  'little  cooks.'  The  conversations  ar  natural 
and  sprightly,  and  Aunt  Jane's  directions  plain,  practical,  and 
altogether  excellent."     [Nation.  130 

DORA'S  HOUSEKEEPING.  [Chicago,  McClurg,  1877.]  "A 
cook-book  with  a  sequel  is  an  unquestionable  novelty,  but  our 
readers  may  remember  that  '  Six  Little  Cooks '  dealt  almost  ex- 
clusivly  with  the  liter  products  of  the  kitchen,  such  as  rolls,  cakes, 
pastry,  jellies,  etc.  Evidently  this  was  a  one-sided  training  for 
the  future  American  mistress,  and  breakfast  and  dinner  stil  loomd 
portentously  with  their  soups,  meats,  vegetables  and  made-dishes. 
With  a  versatility  which  does  her  great  credit,  the  author  invents 
an  emergency  which  places  Miss  Dora  in  her  absent  mother's 
place  for  several  months,  and  then  her  ant  steps  in  and  guides 


11 


OF  THE 

!W1VERSITY 

OF 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

lier  throu  a  labyrinth,  of  raw  and  incompetent  and  fuj^itiv  '  help,' 
and  lends  her  tliat  inexhaustible  receipt-book  which  the  '  Six  Little 
C5ooks '  wer  allowed  to  draw  from  so  freely.  The  story  does  not 
flag-  either,  and  is  enlivened  with  some  good  character-sketching. 
The  housewifely  advice  is  sound,  sensible,  and  civilized.  We  cor- 
dially recommend  these  two  books  as  containing  almost  the  whole 
gospel  of  domestic  economy,  and  really  calculated  to  instruct  yoimg 
housekeepers  in  the  best  principles  and  practice."     [Nation.        131 

THROWN  U1»0N  HER  OTV^  RESOURCES  [by  "  Jenny  June," 
i.  e.,  J..  (Cunningham)  Croly:  Crowell,  18D1]  "is  a  book  to  tel 
what  girls  can  do  if  obliged  to  earn  their  living.  The  chapters  ar 
called  '  The  I'oint  of  View,'  '  How  to  Work  Exactly,'  '  Business 
Methods,'  '  Motiv  Tower  in  Work,'  and  so  on.''     [Critic.  185 

ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  A  MOUTHFUL  OF  BREAD  [by  Jean 
Mace :  Paris,  18(51, — N.  Y.,  Wynkoop,  18(58]  "  is  a  series  of  letters 
to  a  child  on  the  nature  and  functions  of  the  digestiv  apparatus, 
is  not  only  thoroly  wel  adapted  to  the  comprehension  of  any  ordin- 
arily intelligent  child  of  10  or  12 — the  facts  ar  so  aptly  illustrated, 
so  delightfully  told  that  they  cannot  fail  to  be  interesting.  .  .  The 
child  who  has  studied  it  nnderstandingiy  wil  not  only  hav  been 
taut  the  components  of  his  blood,  the  action  of  his  heart  and 
lungs,  and  the  functions  of  his  digestiv  tube,  but  wil  also  leain 
to  look  at  nature  with  the  eyes  of  a  naturalist — to  find  brothers  in 
all  animate  things,  to  si)eculate  curiously  on  the  degrees  of  affinit>' 
between  himself  and  an  earth-worm."     [Nation.  150 

THE  LITTLE  KINGDOM ;  or  the  Servants  of  the  Stomach  [by 
Jean  Mace:  London,  Saunders,  18G7]  "  consists  of  familiar  lectures 
on  the  physiology  of  human  and  other  animal  life.  The  author 
givs  a  pretty  complete  and  accurate  description  of  those  parts  of  the 
body,  such  as  brain  and  nervs,  muscles  and  bones,  and  the  different 
organs  of  sensation,  which  act  more  or  less  under  the  control  of 
the  wil,  and  may,  therefore,  be  said  to  constitute  a  '  little  king- 
dom,' the  pupil  to  whom  he  is  talking,  an  intelligent  girl  of  12, 
being  bailed  as  the  queen  of  this  'little  kingdom.'  In  his  former 
treatis,  Mr.  Mace  described  a    'little  republic,'  consisting  of  the 

12 


BEHAVIOR   AND   LANGUAGE. 

stoinacli,  with  the  liver  and  all  the  digestiv  apparatus, — ^the  heart 
and  lungs,  the  veins  and  arteries,  with  the  whole  process  of  the 
circulation  of  the  blood,  and  the  continual  waste  and  repair  of  all 
the  tissues'of  the  body ;  these  topics  being  included  in  the  '  history  ' 
of  a  morsel  of  food  after  it  has  been  swalloed."  [Illus.  London 
News.  151 

BEHAVIOR  AND  LANGUAGE. 

CHATS  [by  G.  Hamlin:  Lee,  1881]  "  ar  really  little  sermons  or 
lectures,  incorporated  in  pleasant,  sprightly  talks,  with  sometimes 
a  chapter  which  is  scarcely  anything  but  an  essay,  and  occasionally 
a  story  or  fantasy  to  vary  the  seriousness.  The  wisdom  inculcated 
is  of  various  kinds,  hygienic,  social,  moral,  educational,  etc.;  and 
our  young  folks  need  it  all,  and  would  be  the  better  for  reading 
so  sensible  a  little  book.  Once  in  a  while  the  author's  opinions 
seem  too  positiv  in  regard  to  trifles,  but  in  general  every  dictum 
is  admirable.  The  chapter,  for  instance,  called  '  Brain  or  Stomach  ' 
abounds  in  common  sense.  '  Judging  in  haste,'  '  Preparing  to  be 
old,'  '  She  would  be  a  poetess,'  ar  the  titles  of  some  of  the  topics 
discussed.  The  book  has  been  written  in  a  very  earnest  spirit 
and  cannot  fail  to  do  good."     [Nation.  175 

NOTES  FOR  BOYS  [:\IcClurg,  1887]  "  treats  a  great  variety  of 
topics,  from  unselfishness,  truth  and  honesty,  to  the  choice  of  a 
profession  and  marriage,  in  a  straitforward,  wholesome  way, 
Avhich  impresses  one  both  with  his  good  sense  and  with  his  clear 
comprehension  of  the  temptations  and  dangers  besetting  a  boy  on 
his  entrance  to  business  life.  All  subjects  ar  treated  from  the 
standjjoint  of  an  Englishman  of  the  middle  class  who  desires 
his  son  to  be  successful,  not  in  the  ordinary  meaning  of  the  word, 
but  in  the  making  the  best  use  of  his  opportunities,  both  for  LJm- 
self  and  for  those  about  him.  In  the  matter  of  sports,  cricket  is 
put  first;  while  of  football  he  says  '  I  do  not  think  liily;  the  Rugby 
game  is  especially  brutal,'  in  which  judgment  we  heartily  agree 
with  him."     [Nation.  180 

SPEECH  AND  MANNERS  [by  E..  Stansbury  Kirkland:  Mc- 
Clurg,  1883]  "is  an  excellent  little  treatis,  and  the  author  very 
skilfully  sugars  the  instruction-pil.  JMany  common  errors  of 
speech  ar  brot  to  ligLt  and  dwelt  upon  forcibly,  and  many  defects 

13 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

in  manners,  more  especially  those  whicli  children  ar  apt  to  sho, 
ar  clearly  pointed  out.  The  necessity  of  habit  in  order  to  speak 
correctly,  and  of  unselfish  consideration  for  others  in  order  to  act 
courteously,  ar  strongly  insisted  on.  Good  suggestions  ar  mad(i 
with  reference  to  composition  and  letter-writing.  The  book  is  an 
admirable  one  for  mothers  to  read  aloud  to  their  children."  [Na- 
tion.]— "  We  notice  the  omission  of  one  objectionable  phrase, — ^the 
use  of  '  up '  in  unnecessary  connection  with  verbs,  as  '  ate  up.' " 
[Atlantic.  ^  185 

GRAMMAR-LAND  [by  M.  L.  Nesbitt:  Holt,  1878]  "  givs  an 
almost  ideal  dramatization  of  a  dry  and,  for  children,  dishearten- 
ing study.  It  does  not  go  very  far.  Judge  Grammar  examins  all 
the  impersonated  parts  of  speech  in  turn,  and  makes  them  declare 
by  what  sign  they  can  be  detected;  the  youthful  reader  gets  a 
glimpse  of  conjugation,  a  fragment  of  syntax,  and  all  the  rest  is 
pure  fun  and  enjojanent.  The  humor  is  wel  sustained  throughout, 
and  Dr.  ^^erb,  Mr.  Adjective,  Mr.  Adverb,  etc.,  talk  always  in  char- 
acter. Since  the  author  can  point  to  the  success  of  her  '  jeu  d'es- 
prit '  as  a  text-book,  we  recommend  it  for  the  same  purpos  and 
heartUy.  Perhaps,  however,  those  A^iio  hav  learned  the  rudiments 
by  the  old  method  wil  most  delight  in  this  new  departure.  Of 
course,  also,  it  can  be  pleasurably  read  without  thot  of  self-im- 
provement."    [Nation.  200 

BIOGRATHY. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  B:  FRANKLIN  [Nugget  ed.— Putnam, 
1889]  "  is  one  of  the  books  whose  salt  never  loses  its  savor.  Few 
books  written  since  the  printing-press  came  into  use  hav  done 
so  much  to  keep  the  world  morally  and  intellectually  fresh.  Its 
morality  is  of  the  soundest.  If  the  famous  old  philosopher  had 
little  or  no  faith  in  Revelation,  he  yet  regarded  the  practical 
teachings  of  Christianity  as  worthy  of  all  acceptation  and  was  a 
true  Christian  in  his  love  of  right,  his  feeling  of  human  brother- 
hood, and  his  inveterate  'hate  of  hate'  and  love  of  wisdom  and 
peace.  The  story  of  his  earthly  pilgrimage  is  a  tale  of  wonder, 
whicli  loses  nothing  in  the  telling;  it  is  a  tale  99  times  told,  which 
cannot  be  told  too  often  .  .  .  never  wer  subject-matter  and  style  so 
perfectly  adapted  one  to  the  other  as  in  this  mind-molding  book. 

14 


BIOGRAPHY. 

There  is  liardly  a  tale  in  '  The  Arabian  Nights '  so  fascinating  as 
this  story  of  the  boy  who,  beginning  as  candle-malver  and  i^rinter's 
apprentice,  came  to  be  the  organizer  of  a  new  republic  and  the 
darling  of  a  dying  monarchy,"     [Critic.  225 

See  also  Bajard  (940,  941),  Wallace  (803),  Gama  (355),  ^lagellan 
(360),  Cortez  (2220),  Mary  of  Scotland  (821v),  Drake  (365),  Sidney 
(825),  Capt.  Smith  (640-641),  Lady  Russell  (853a),  Mrs.  J:  Adams 
(after  2205),  Washington  (same),  Boone  (same),  Hodson  (485),  etc. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  STORIES  FOR  CHILDREN  [by  Nathaniel 
Hawthorne:  Boston,  Tappan,  1843]  "contains  wel  told  and  inter- 
esting stories  of  West,  Newton,  Dr.  Johnson,  Cromwell,  Franldin, 
and  Queen  Christina."     [So.  Lit.  Messenger.  250 

TRUE  STORIES  FROM  HISTORY  AND  BIOGRAPHY,  [by 
Nathaniel  Hawthorne :  Ticknor,  1850,]  "  A  man  who  can  write 
wel  for  children  deservs  to  be  listened  to  by  anybody,  and  fathers 
and  mothers  wil  find  themselvs  looking  over  the  sholders  of  the 
little  folk  upon  these  sunple  and  delightful  pages.  Sincerity  is 
never  thrown  away,  and  children  learn  by  instinct  its  force  in  a 
book.  These  stories  ar  tried  favorites.  The  volume  includes  the 
whole  of  Grandfather's  Chau' — a  piece  of  old  oaken  furniture  which 
passes  from  house  to  house  and  oner  to  oner,  connecting  in  a 
cheerful  way  the  ^^liole  of  New  England  history,  from  the  settle- 
ment of  Plymouth  to  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  A  gen- 
uin  book,  in  a  true  spirit,"     [Literary  World,  255 

LITTLE  PRINCES:  Anecdotes  of  Illustrious  Children  of  All 

Ages   and   Countries    [by   ( — )    Slater:   Cundall,    1843]    "is 

a  collection  of  the  current  anecdotes  of  illustrious  children,  and  of 
some  drawn  from  rarer  sources  of  reading;  which  may  cultivate 
generous  and  amiable  thots  in  children  of  every  rank."  [Exam- 
iner. ,  260 

NOBLE  DAMES  OF  ANCIENT  STORY  [by  J:  E.  Edgar: 
Hogg,  1864]  "begins  with  the  marriage  of  Isabel  the  Fair  and 
Edward  II.  in  1308,  and  closes  the  book  with  the  death  of  the 
duchess  of  Orleans,  in  1848.  The  story  of  '  Isabel  the  Fair '  is 
folloed  by  '  Philippa  of  Hainault ' — a  life  of  great  interest  and  full 
of  romantic  incident."     [Reader.  265 

15 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

STORIES  OF  REMiVEKABLE  PERSONS  [bv  W:  Chambers: 
Chambers,  1878]  "  is  entertainingly  written ;  it  combines  with  its 
moralizing  ninch  valuable  biographical  information,  some  of  which 
is  very  curious;  we  ar  given  the  history  of  that  Scotch  lord,  of 
whom  we  hav  heard  the  legend,  who  found  his  life-work  in 
sharpening  razors,  and  who  made  his  tailor  wear  his  new  clothes 
until  they  wer  fitted  to  his  form  before  he  would  don  them  himself ; 
the  career  of  De  Lesseps  givs  occasion  for  a  general  description  of 
the  Suez  Canal,  and  in  the  story  of  the  Herschels  we  get  the 
history  of  early  telescope  manufacture.  Interesting  to  our  public, 
particularly,  ar  the  careers  of  A.  T.  Stewart,  the  Astors,  Horace 
Greeley,  and  the  Jubilee  Singers,  to  which,  perhaps,  6t  to  be  added 
the  story  of  the  Lord  Gordon  of  Erie  notoriety.  This  is  especially, 
of  course,  a  book  for  boys,  to  whom  it  wil  be  commended  by  its 
excellent  typography;  but  the  elders  wil  find  amusement  and 
instruction  in  it  as  wel.  The  most  noted  of  the  persons  whose 
lives  it  tels,  whom  we  hav  not  mentioned,  ar  the  Wordsworths, 
the  Fairbairns,  Lord  Eldon,  M..  Somer^ille,  and  Desmoulins." 
[Nation.  268 

CAPTAINS  OF  INDUSTRY,  [by  James  Parton:  Houghton, 
1884.]  "  Many  of  the  sketches  ar  reviews  of  current  lives,  such 
as  the  lives  of  E:  Coles,  Myron  Holley,  Gerrit  Smith,  P:  Burnett's 
Autobiography,  the  lives  of  Greeley  and  Bennett,  of  T:  Edward, 
Robert  Dick,  and  J:  Duncan.  Mr.  Barton's  style  is  as  wel  calcu- 
lated to  interest  the  young  as  their  elders,  and  what  he  offers  is 
wholesome  reading."     [Nation.  270 

HISTORIC  BOYS,  [by  E.  S.  Brooks:  Putnam,  1885.]  "The 
author's  style  is  too  ambitious  and  is  marred  by  archaic  affecta- 
tions."    [Nation.  275 

SOME  NOTED  PRINCES  [by  Ja.  Parton  et  al.:  Crowell,  1885] 
"  consists  of  50  sketches.  Tho  ostensibly  written  for  the  young, 
we  ar  inclined  to  think  that  these  essays  may  be  read  with  even 
greater  pleasure  by  the  old.  Some  of  them,  especially  those  by 
E.  P.  Whipple  on  the  college  days  of  Macaulay,  Prescott,  Choate, 
and  C:  Kingsley,  ar  above  the  heads  of  all  but  the  most  thotful  of 
young  readers.     Canon  Farrar  writes  pleasantly  of  dean  Stanley 

16 


BIOGRAPHY. 

and  Westminster  Abbey  and  of  Disraeli.  Especially  interesting 
is  the  account  of  A^ictor  Hii^io's  homes.  '  Tea  with  Carlyle '  is  a 
capital  bit  of  descriptiv  writing.  The  accounts  of  the  royal  fam- 
ilies of  England,  Denmark  and  Ravaria  ar  entertaining.  The  best 
paper  is  on  '  Dickens  with  his  children,'  by  his  dauter."     [Nation. 

280 

STIRRING  STORIES  OF  PEACE  AND  WAR  [by  Ja.  Macau- 
lay  :  Hodder,  1885]  "  is  an  excellent  selection  of  the  most  animat- 
ing incidents  in  history  from  Gustav  Vasa's  days  to  those  of  Gor- 
don. Of  course  the  author  goes  over  familiar  ground;  but  to  such 
stoc  subjects  as  the  conquest  of  Mexico  and  the  escape  of  Charles 
II.,  some  less  known  occurrences  of  a  more  modern  date  hav  been 
added,  which  wil  be  new  to  most  people."     [Athenaeum.  28.") 

YOliNG  DAYS  OF  AUTHORS  [by  A.  R.  Hope  [IMoncrieff] : 
Hogg,  1885]  "  describes  the  youthful  days  of  the  young  Chouan 
heroes,  of  Heine,  Basil  Hall,  Alfieri,  W:  Hutton,  of  Mrs.  Grant 
of  Laggan  (whose  American  u|)bringing  is  here  recorded),  and 
of  Andersen,  make  a  sufficiently  diversified  field  which  is  wel 
worked  by  the  author."     [Athenaeum.  295 

CHIV^VLRIC  DAYS  [by  E.  S.  Brooks:  Blackie,  1887]  ''narrates 
'  stories  of  courtesy  and  courage  in  the  olden  times ' — stories  of 
much  interest,  but  spoilt  in  the  telling.  The  style  is  long-winded, 
elaborate,   and  over-full  of  moralizing."     [Athenaeum.  300 

CHILDREN'S  STORIES  OF  THE  GREAT  SCIENTISTS,  [by 
Henrietta  Christian  Wright:  Scribner,  1888.]  "The  stories  of 
Galileo,  Newton,  Franklin,  and  Linnaeus,  telling,  as  it  wer,  of  the 
beginnings  of  science,  lend  themselvs  easily  to  a  picturesque  and 
graphic  treatment,  while  this  is  almost  impossible  in  narrating  the 
discoveries  of  Lyell,  Agassiz,  Tyndall  and  Darwin.  The  author  has 
been  very  successful  in  the  early  chapters."     [Nation.  305 

YOTTNGSTERS'  YARNS  [by  A.  R.  Hope  [:iIoncrieff] :  Routledge, 
1887]  "  slios  the  reverse  side  of  many  stirring  incidents  in  English 
history,  the  German  sailor-boy  Joachim  Nettlebeck,  the  '  American 
Tar  '  Ned  Meyers,  the  '  Bacwoods  Boy,'  and  the  '  Army  of  Crusoes  ' 
(the  French  prisoners  on  Cabrera  in  the  Peninsular  War)  having 
for  diverse  reasons  no  cause  to  bless  the  generally  triumi^hant 

17 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOITNG 

Union  Jack.  But  the  tales  ar  of  no  nationality,  and  for  graphic 
descriptions  of  pluc  and  adventure  wil  be  found  entertaining." 
[Athenaeum.  310 

LIBEARY  OF  UNIVERSAL  ADVENTURE  BY  SEA  AND 
LAND.  [ed.  by  W:  D.  Howells  and  T:  S.  Perry:  Harper,  1888.] 
"From  the  youthful  point  of  vue,  this  collection  leaves  little  to 
be  desired  in  point  of  range  and  variety.  Capt.  J:  Smith's  cap- 
tivity among  the  Turks,  Capt.  Cook's  fate.  Baron  Trenck's  suffer- 
ings, the  mutiny  of  the  '  Bounty,'  even  the  horrors  of  the  Black 
Hole  ar  to  be  found  here;  and  we  hav  also  episodes,  like  Napoleon 
III.'s  escape  from  Ham,  Dr.  Judson's  imprisonment  in  Burma, 
F:  Douglass'  escape  from  slavery,  and  Owen  Brown's  flight  after 
Harper's  Ferry."     [Nation.  315 

LIFE  AND  LABOR,  or  Characteristics  of  Men  and  Industry, 
Culture,  and  Genius,  [by  S:  Smiles:  Harpers,  1888.]  "Mr.  Smiles' 
method  is  wel  known.  Maldng  a  few  bags,  labeled  Great  Young 
Men,  Town  and  Country  Life,  Health  and  Hobbies,  Great  Old  Men, 
Single  and  Married,  and  the  like,  he  stuffs  them  with  anecdotes, 
incidents,  and  quotations.  The  result  is  a  book  which  one  can  dip 
into  at  any  point  and  pull  out  a  plum;  of  batter  there  is  very 
little."     [Atlantic.  320 

THE  TRUE  STORY  BOOK  [ed.  by  Andrew  Lang:  Longman, 
1893]  "  contains  24  tales  of  adventure,  only  one  of  which,  '  The 
Spartan  Three  Hundred,'  is  borroed  from  ancient  history.  There 
ar  escapes  from  prison  and  captivity  (Casanova,  Trenck,  Cervantes, 
and  Caesar  Borgia),  tales  of  pirates,  Kaspar  Hauser,  Grace  Darl- 
ing, etc.  The  adventures  of  the  Young  Pretender  ar  told  at 
considerable  length ;  but  the  largest  space  is  devoted  to  '  The 
Conquest  of  Montezuma's  Empire,'  reduced  from  Prescott's 
history.  Mr.  Lang  says  of  it:  'That  is  a  very  long  story,  but  to 
the  author's  taste,  it  is  simply  the  best  true  story  in  the  world, 
the  most  unlikely  and  the  most  romantic'  There  ar  but  two 
stories  from  North  American  history,  'A  Boy  among  the  Red 
Indians '  (from  Tanner's  Captivity),  and  '  The  Shannon  and  the 
Chesapeake.' "     [Nation.  325 

ON  HONOR'S  ROLL,  instances  of  heroism  in  the  19th  century, 
[by  Laura  (Jewry)  Valentine:  Warne,  1885.]     "Vivid  descriptions 

18 


EXPLORATION. 


of  the  defense  of  Plevna  [1877],  Abu-Klea  [1885],  the  rescue  of 
Sh'  C:  Wilson,  the  defense  of  Rorke's  Drift,   etc."     [Athenaeum. 

330 
EXPLORATION. 

ADVENTURES  BY  SEA  AND  LAND  [Poiter  &  Coates,  1874] 
"givs  accounts  of  hunting  expeditions  in  Ceylon,  of  a  fire  at  sea, 
of  the  desert,  of  shipwrec  and  starvation,  the  little  African's  ad- 
ventures, an  adventure  in  the  time  of  the  Circassian  War,  of  the 
fair  of  Nishni  Novogorod,  and  of  the  Tschutski  people,  a  hardy  race 
who  inhabit  a  peninsula  jutting  out  on  the  North  Pacific  Ocean. 
There  is  nothing  grotesque  or  improbable  in  tlie  book,  and  it  com- 
bines instruction  with  entertainment,  making  it  of  value  to  chil- 
dren of  all  ages."     [Aldine.  •  335 

PERILOUS  INCIDENTS  IN  THE  LIVES  OF  SAH.ORS  AND 
TRAVELERS.  [Porter  &  Coates,  1874.]  "  Here  we  read  of  pirates ; 
of  captivity  among  the  Japanese;  a  sea-fight  on  the  Cuban  coast; 
a  winter  in  the  Frozen  Ocean;  shipwrecs,  voyages  to  the  East 
Indies,  etc."     [Aldine.  340 


ROBINSON  CRUSOE,  [by  Dan- 
iel DeFoe:  1719;  abridged,  Lee. 
1881.]  "  There  is  no  difRcnlty  in  un- 
derstanding the  attempt  to  abridge 
'  Robinson  Crusoe,'  and  the  tasli  it- 
self is  not  the  hardest  in  the  world. 
Considerable  liberties  wer  taken 
with  the  original  by  the  wife  of 
Prof.  .7:  Farrar,  of  Harvard,  who 
regarded  it  as  rather  a  doubtful 
work  to  set  before  children;  whore- 
as,  by  pruning,  it  might  be  made 
to  serv  a  moral  purpos.  Her  para- 
phrase is  now  published  and  con- 
densed in  turn  by  Mr.  W:  T.  Adams. 
In  spite  of  his  care  to  simplify  the 
style  of  Mrs.  Farrar,  which  was 
eminently  correct,  but  based  on 
models  now  in  disrepute,  it  wil  be 
found  hard  reading  for  children  un- 
der 10  or  12.  The  book,  however, 
is  very  comely."  [Nation.] — See  also 
notice  in  Griswold's  List  of  Roman- 
tic Novels  (No.  920).  341 


SWISS  FAMILY  ROBINSON,  [by 
J:  Rudolf  Wyss  (1781-18.30);  1812, 
London:  Warne,  1888.]  "A  nearer 
version  of  the  original  title  would 
be  '  The  Swiss  Robinson  Crusoe.' 
The  volume  before  us  is  a  veritable 
Falstaff  among  books,  and  is  stud- 
ded from  beginning  to  end  with  il- 
lustrations that  will  delight  its 
readers,  especially  the  full  pages  in 
colors.  The  translation  is  newly 
made  from  the  original  by  Mrs.  H. 
B.  Paull,  whose  aim  has  been  to 
'  render  the  German  sentences  into 
good,  simple  Anglo-Saxon  English,' 
without  altering  the  simple  text  of 
Wyss."    [Critic. 

SAME.      [ed.      by     W:      H: 

Giles  Kingston:  Routledge,  1890.] 
"  The  translation  is  good,  like  the 
print;  the  pictures  ar  wel  chosen  and 
wel  executed.  Tl^  slight  cuts  and 
alterations  seem  judicious  enuf; 
while     one     passage,— that     about 


19 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


Fritz  and  the  dogs,  unaccountably 
omitted  in  various  modern  editions, 
is  here  fully  restored."  [Saturday 
Review.  342 

POOR  JACK,  [by  F:  Marryat: 
Warne,  1887.]  "  Since  Robin- 
son Crusoe  no  books  hav  been 
written  which  approach  this  and 
Masterman  Ready  in  humor,  truth, 
and  character.  They  hav  proved  to 
be  the  making  of  a  multitude  of 
boys  and  an  undefiled  source  of 
profit  and  entertainment."  [Satur- 
day Review.  3-13 

THE  LITTLE  SAVAGE,  [by  F: 
Marryat:  Routledge,  1988.]  "  We  of 
the  older  generation  kno  there  is  no 
one  more  entertaining  in  adventure 
than  Capt.  Marryat.  Even  Ruskiu, 
whose  entire  approval  mortals  so 
rarely  gain,  says  of  these  boys' 
books,  '  There  is  more  vital  amuse- 
ment in  them  than  in  any  other 
books  whatever.'  A  youthful  Rob- 
inson Crusoe,  this  English  boy,  who 
was,  born  on  a  desert  Hand  and 
livd  to  be  the  solitary  survivor   of 


the  little  company  which  had  been 
shipwrecked  on  ft,  did  finally  suc- 
ce<;d  in  getting  away,  and  became  a 
living  part  of  the  great  world." 
[Critic.  '      344 

THE  ISLAND  HOME,  or  The 
Young  Castaways  [edited  by  Chris- 
topher Romaunt:  Boston,  Gould, 
1852]  "  is  a  story  which  bids  fair 
to  rival  the  far-famed  Robinson 
Crusoe  in  the  estimation  of  youth- 
dom.  It  is  a  narrativ  of  the  ad- 
venturous sojourn  of  an  exceedingly 
pleasant  party  of  youngsters  on  an 
Hand  otherwise  uninhabited,  told 
with  considerable  skil.  We  become  as 
much  interested  in  the  Max,  Johnny, 
Arthur,  and  the  rest  of  the  goodly 
company,  as  in  the  Swiss  Robinson 
Family;  the  latter  book  our  heroes 
appear  perfectly  familiar  with,  and 
they — of  course,  acting  out  a  real 
history— philosophically  compare 
their  contrivances  and  resources 
with  those  of  the  fictitious  person- 
ages in  that  volume,  who  in  sort 
AVer  their  illustrious  predecessors." 
[Sartain's  Mag.  345 


WITH  AXE  AND  RIFLE,  or  the  Western  Pioneers,  [by  W:  H. 
G.  Kingston:  Low,  1878.]  "This  author's  boolis  differ  one  from 
another  only  in  tliese  respects,  that  the  scenes  ar  laid  in  different 
parts  of  the  world,  the  heroes  ar  named  variously,  while  the  ad- 
ventures in  one  ar  to  those  in  another  as  tweedledum  is  to  tweedle- 
dee.  Nor  do  we  believe  that  the  writer  has  very  much  choice  in 
the  matter.  He  apparently  gets  a  series  of  electros  put  before 
him  and  '  writes  up '  to  them.  If  the  cuts  relate  to  North  Amer- 
ica, why,  then,  he  lays  the  scene  there,  and,  if  they  happen  to 
be  prairie  sketches,  to  the  prairie  he  must  perforce  carry  the  heroic 
boys  and  preternaturally  gifted  girls  who  form  the  w^el-remembered 
puppets  which  Mr.  Kingston  works  for  our  children's  amusement 
and  instruction.  He  gets  them  into  all  manner  of  adventures,  so 
long  as  tlie  cuts  last,  and  ends  the  stor}'  and  nialies  everybody 


20 


EXPLORATION. 

happy  when  he  has  used  the  hist.  The  trie  is  a  simple  one,  and 
the  result  not  very  great,  but  in  the  hands  of  so  admirable  a  mas- 
ter of  his  craft,  always  readable,  and  never  poisonous  to  healthy 
minded  children."     [Examiner.  349 

NOTABLE  VOYAGES  [by  W:  H:  Giles  Kingston:  Routledge, 
1879]  "  givs  an  abridgment  of  Ir\'iug's  '  Columbus,'  and  of 
Dampier's  and  Cook's  ample  narrativs.  Other  subjects  ar:  Vasco 
da  Gama,  Magellan,  Drake,  Cavendish,  Schouten  and  Lemaire  (the 
rounding  of  Cape  Horn),  and  Parry.  From  the  South  Seas  to  the 
frozen  Serpent  of  the  North,  scarcely  any  part  of  the  globe  is  left 
untouched,  and  the  lesson  in  geography  therefore  is  considerable, 
if  only  the  atlas  be  kept  open  as  the  reading  proceeds."  [Na- 
tion. 350 


YOUNG  FOLKS'  BOOK  OF  AISIBKICAN 
EXPLORERS,  [by  T:  Wentwortli  Hig- 
ginson:  Lee,  1877.]  "The  hi  praise 
awarded  Mr.  Higginson  for  the  execu- 
tion of  his  'Y.  F.  History  of  the  U.  S.' 
must  be  renewed  for  the  idea  of  the 
present  worls.  He  has  rightly  conceived 
that  the  narrativ  sources  of  history  can 
be  made  as  clear  and  as  interesting  to 
the  youthful  mind  as  '  Robinson  Crusoe  '; 
and  happily  the  size  of  our  continent 
and  the  fact  that  three  nationalities 
took  a  leading  part  in  its  discovery  and 
settlement,  combine  to  giv  a  fascinating 
variety  to  the  relations  which  ar  avail- 
able partly  in  the  quaint  English  of  the 
original,  partly  in  that  of  Hakluyt  and 
others,  and  partly  in  the  sympathetic 
versions  of  modern  scholars.  Mr.  Hig- 
ginson's  selections,  which  begin  with  the 
Norse  discovery  and  end  with  the  Purit- 
ans at  Salem,  hav  been  made  with  great 
discrimination,  and  often  with  a  more 
subtle  purpos  than  children,  not  on  the 
lookout  for  historical  '  side-lights,'  wil 
discover  on  the  first  or  on  the  twentieth 

reading.      The    field    covered    is    surpris- 


ingly wide  for  the  size  of  the  volume. 
Columbus,  the  Cabots  and  Verrazzano, 
Cabeza  de  Vaca,  Cartier,  De  Soto, 
Ribaut  and  Laudonniere,  Sir  Humphrey 
Gilbert,  Capt.  J:  Smith,  Champlain,  Hud- 
son, the  Pilgrims  and  the  Puritans  ap- 
pear in  chronological  sequence,  telling 
their  stories  or  celebrated  by  contem- 
poraries and  associates.  Every  book  or 
chapter  is  introduced  by  a  statement  of 
the  authorities  quoted,  and  brief  foot- 
notes, not  too  numerous,  explain  the 
hard  words  and  otherwise  illustrate  and 
correct   the   text."     [Nation.  590 

HEROES  OF  AMERICAN  DISCOV- 
ERY [by  "  N.  D' An  vers,"  i.  e.,  Nancy  R. 
B.  (Meugens)  Bell;  Routledge,  1885] 
"  contains  enuf  which  is  new  and  fresh 
to  make  it  a  geuuiu  acquisition.  The  ex- 
plorations of  the  Rocky  Mountains  form 
an  important  part  of  the  work,  but  they 
come  down  only  to  Fremont's  time;  it 
would  seem  as  if  it  might  hav  been 
better  to  omit  Columbus  and  De  Soto 
for  the  sake  of  including  Major  Powell 
and  other  later  explorers."    [Nation.  593 


21 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


WESTWARD     WITH     COLUM-  wield  so  mechanic  a  pen  as  would 

BUS.  [by  Gordon   Stables:   Blackie,  tarnish  the  romance  of  the  voyage 

1893.]    "The  author  deals  with  one  of    Columbus.    The    author   tels    us 

of  the  most  inspiring  themes  which  of    the    boyhood    of    Columbus,    as 

a     writer     could     devise,     and     his  Avel  as  the  achievements  of  the  dis- 

treatment    is   such   that   it   can   not  coverer    and    navigator,    and    from 

fail  to  hold  boys  enrapt.    It  would  both  points  of  vue  his  work  is  wel 

be    hard    indeed    for    any    man    to  done."    [Saturday  Review.  353 

VASCO  DA  GA3^1A.  [by  G:  M.  Towle:  Lee,  1878.]  "  Da  Gama 
has  a  great  but  dim  name,  a  character  of  real  heroism,  and  ex- 
ploits of  the  first  order  in  the  field  of  discovery.  The  story  is  told 
wel,  and  the  interest  sustained  throughout.  Neither  is  it  ex- 
clusivly  suited  to  children;  the  adventures  ar  so  unfamiliar  and 
so  exciting  as  wel  as  instructiv  that  adults,  too,  wil  find  it  worth 
reading.  The  style  is  just  what  it  should  bfr— no  fine  writing, 
no  '  writing  down '  to  the  assumed  level  of  childhood,  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  nothing  above  then-  comprehension.  Quite  young 
children,  too,  can  get  enjoyment  from  it."     [Nation.  355 

MAGELLAN  [by  G:  M.  ToAvle:  Lee,  1879]  "is  one  of  a  capital 
series  of  books  for  boys  called  '  Heroes  of  History/  written  in  a 
vivid  and  instructiv  manner.  They  ar  just  the  books  which  ar 
needed;  when  boys  can  hav  true  stories  as  full  of  interest  and 
adventures,  we  do  not  see  why  the  wretched  books  of  sensational 
fiction  which  they  ar  now  devouring  should  not  disappear.  •  Of 
this  volimie  nothing  especial  need  be  said,  except  that  it  comes 
in  very  wel  as  a  sequel  to  the  life  of  Vasco  da  Gama."     [Nation.  360 

DRAKE,  the  Sea-King  of  Devon  [by  G:  M.  Towle:  Lee,  1882] 
"  is  one  of  the  best  of  an  interesting  series. .  .  But  the  form  in  which 
it  is  cast — neither  a  history  nor  a  romance — is  one  in  which  it  is 
dificult  lo  maintain  the  balance  between  fiction  and  truth.  The 
adventures  ar  no  doubt  true;  the  conversations  ar  probably  fic- 
titious."    [Nat^n.  365 

THE  GIANT  OF  THE  NORTH,  or  Pokings  round  the  Pole  [by 
Ro.  Michael  Ballantyne:  Nelson,  1881]  "is  wel  calculated  to  im- 
part to  the  audience  for  which  it  was  written  all  the  old  mis- 
conceptions in  regard  to  the  Polar  regions,  and  many  new  ones." 
[Nation.  ^^^ 

VOYAGE  OF  THE  VIVIAN  TO  THE  NORTH  POLE  AND 
BEYOND,  [by  T:  W:  Knox:  Harper,  1884.]     "The  story,  if  the 

22 


EXPLORATION. 

extremely  prosy  thread  of  narrativ  upon  which  the  items  of  a 
sort  of  Arctic  encyclopaedia  ar  strung  can  be  called  a  story,  is  that 
of  a  French  and  an  American  ship  which  visit  Kamchatka,  pass 
fchrou  Bering  Strait,  enter  the  pac,  find  an  open  polar  sea,  which 
they  cross,  and  drift  down  on  either  side  of  Greenland  into  the 
waters  of  the  Atlantic.  .  .  There  is  a  good  store  of  authentic  in- 
formation on  the  Polar  regions  in  the  book,  and  every  bright 
child  wil  enjoy  looking  at  the  pictm-es.  Meanwhile  the  race  of 
Mayne  Eeids,  who  can  make  their  boy  heroes  liv,  seems  to  be  be- 
coming extinct."  [Nation.] — "While  the  author  has  not  much 
freedom  of  style,  his  material  is  so  good  that  boys,  with  their  cast- 
kon  digestiv  powers,  wil  hav  no  difficulty  in  bolting  the  book." 
[Atlantic.  380 

CHILDREN  OF  THE  COLD  [by  F:  Schwatka:  Cassell,  1886] 
"  contains  very  interesting  articles  on  the  life  of  Eskimo  children 
near  Hudson  Bay.  .  .  All  boys  and  girls  wil  enjoy  the  vivid  account 
of  the  games,  toys,  and  manner  of  life  of  the  little  Eskimos,  who 
seem,  their  cluuatic  limitations  considered,  to  hav  much  the  same 
tendencies  as  children  in  other  lands.  Here  one  may  learn  where 
and  how  they  liv,  how  their  houses  ar  built-,  what  ar  their  play 
things,  how  they  make  sleds  and  coast  on  them,  how  the  dogs  ar 
fed,  what  they  hav  in  place  of  candy,  their  work,  hunting,  and 
fishing,  how  their  clothes  ar  made,  and  much  about  theh  sports 
and  exercises  of  skil  and  strength.  The  book  contains  nothing 
to  which  exception  can  be  taken,  and  we  can  heartily  recommend 
it."     [Nation.  385 

GEOGRAPHY  AND  HISTORY. 

THE  BOY  TRAVELLERS  IN  AUSTRALASIA,  [by  T:  W: 
Knox :  Harper,  1888.]  "■  The  heroes  visit  the  Hawaiian  Hands 
and  other  groups  in  the  south  I*acific  before  they  reach  Australia 
and  New  Zealand.  This  earlier  portion  we  hav  found  more  en- 
tertaining than  the  latter,  from  the  fact  that  man}'  of  the  chapters 
on  the  English  colonies  ar  so  packed  with  facts  and  statistics  as  to 
make  the  reading  of  them  like  eating  pemmican."     [Nation.     390 

MAORI  AND  SETTLER,  [by  G:  A.  is  one  that  has  many  points  of  lilve- 

Heuty:  Scribuer,  1890.]  "  The  strug-  ness    to    the    wresting   of   our   own 

gle  of  the  British  settlers  of  New  national  area  from  the  red  men.  Mr. 

Zealand  against  the  Maoris  (1S63-4)  Henty,  the  English  writer  for  boys 

23 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


who  fills  much  the  place  which  Syl- 
vauus  Cobb  [!!]  filled  a  geueratiou 
ago,  has  depicted  this  struggle  in 
a  narrativ  which  many  of  the  boys 
will  vote  '  thrilling.'  The  hero  of  the 
story  is  Wilfrid  Renshaw,  a  lad  in 
the  family  that  has  come  to  make  a 
home  in  the  Southern  ocean.  Mr. 
Atherton,  a  burly  botanist  and  natur- 
alist, is  the  second  figure  of  inter- 
est. .  .  We  hav  glimpses  of  scenery 
and  strange  customs,  and  portraiture 
of  savage  character."  [Critic.  392 
THE  GOLDEN  LAND,  [by  B: 
Leopold  Farjeon:  Ward,  1886.]  "  The 
incidents  ar  few,  but,  what  is  far 
better,  we  take  a  personal  interest 
in  the  characters.  For  the  heroes  of 
startling  adventures  we  care  noth- 


ing, being  simply  curious  to  kno  how 
they  get  out  of  their  scrapes.  But 
these  children,  whose  love  for  their 
widoed  father  is  so  pure,  we  folio 
with  the  deepest  concern  from  Eng- 
land across  the  ocean  and  throu  the 
bush,  leaving  them  on  the  threshold 
of  their  Australian  home  with  re- 
gi-et.  Their  conversation  is  natural 
and  entertaining.  The  stories  which 
their  imaginativ  uncle  tells  ar  thor- 
oly  delightful,  while  throu  the  book 
runs  a  vein  of  delicate  humor,  min- 
gled with  pathetic  touches,  espec- 
ially in  the  story  of  the  little  sto- 
away."    [Nation.  393 

THE  YOUNG  CARTHAGINIAN, 
by  G:  A.  Henty.  See  "  Novels  of 
Ancient  Life,"  No.  150.  C394 


THE  BOY  TEAVELLERS  LN  CENTRAL  AFRICA,  [by  T:  AV. 
Knox:  Harper,  1883.]  "The  route  is  a  not  impossible  one  even 
for  boys:  it  lies  u})  the  Nile  to  the  Albert  and  Mctoria  lakes, 
thence  across  country  to  Tabora,  and  thence,  turning  their  bacs 
on  Ujiji  and  Tanganyika,  to  the  east  coast  and  to  Zanzibar.  But, 
as  usual,  a  much  larger  area  of  the  continent  is  covered  in  conver- 
sation than  by  actual  journeying,  and  excuses  ar  made  for  telhng 
what  Schweinfurth  saw  and  what  Livingstone  and  Stanley  did, 
with  something  about  the  Niger,  the  West  Coast  countries,  etc. 
l*ictm"es,  for  the  most  part  authentic  and  pertinent,  aboimd.  The 
little  library,  created  with  so  much  painstaking,  ranks  among  the 
most  instructiv  of  the  juvenil?  ]>nblications  of  late  years,  as  among 
the  most  entertaining.  .  .  The  event  has  shown  that  the  writer 
had  a  mission,  and  that  he  knew  how  to  recommend  himself  to 
the  young.  He  has  had  a  host  of  imitators,  but  hardly  any  rival." 
[Nation.  895 


IN  SAVAGE  AFRICA  [by  Vernon 
Lovett  Cameron:  Nelson,  1887]  "is 
a  book  of  much  interest,  wel  illus- 
trated, in  which  the  author's  local 
knoledge  has  enabled  him  to  giv 
much  likelihood  to  the  stoi'y  of  a 
young  sailor  wrecked  on  the  west 
coast,  who  manages  to  cross  to  Zan- 
zibar.   Sufferings  as  a  slave,  adven- 


tures with  hippopotomi.  crocodiles, 
and  elephants,  glimpses  of  fetishism 
and  sorcery,  combine  to  make  this 
an  excellent  introduction  to  the 
Dark  Continent."  [Athenaeum.  397 
BY  SHEER  PLUCK  [by  G:  Alfred 
Henty:  Blackie,  1883]  "may  be  rec- 
ommended as  not  only  entertaining 
but  improving.    The  hero  is  left  to 


24 


GEOGRAPHY :— AFRICA. 

his  own  resources  at  an  early  age.  West  Africa  [1873].    Tlie  rest  of  his 

Those  resources  seem  at  first  to  con-  adventures,    his    patron's    fate,    Sir 

sist  chiefly  of  an  unusual  supply  of  Garnet,  King  Coffee,  African  fever 

'  pluc  ' ;  it  is,  hovv^ever,   supplement-  and   a  triumphant  return  with  ulti- 

ed  by  a  knoledge  of  the  art  of  taxi-  mate    wealth    and    honor,    must    be 

dermy,  which  brings  him  into  con-  read  in  the  author's  words  to  be  duly 

tact  with  an  eminent  and  wealthy  appreciated."  [Saturday  Review.  398 
naturalist,    who    takes    him    out   to 

THE  KNOCKABOUT  CLUB   IN    NORTH  AFRICA,   [by  F; 

Albion  Ober :  Estes,  ISDl.]  "  The  pictures  ar  poorer,  the  fictitious 
macliinery  is  less  foi-mal  than  in  the  Knox  books,  and  the  author 
helps  himself  to  hni'j;  qiiotarioiis  without  indicating  the  sotu'ce. 
The  book  is  a  good  deal  of  a  jumble,  and  in  falling  upon  a  greater 
abandon  of  style  we  get  more  slang  also.  Mr.  Knox's  puppets 
spoke  schoolmaster's  English,  but  Mr.  Ober's  ar  not  above  the  use 
of  newspaper  English.''  iOO 

THE  YOUNG  COLONISTS  [by  G:  or  humiliating  chapter  in  English 
Alfred  Henty:  Routledge,  1884]  "  de-  history  than  the  war  in  the  Trans- 
scribes  the  war  in  South  Africa  vaal,  and  the  treaty  which  conclud- 
[1880-81],  ending  with  the  rout  of  ed  it.  is  not  to  be  found.'  "  [Satur- 
Majuba  Hil,  which  the  author  char-  day  Review.  403 
acterizes  thus: — 'A  more  disgraceful 

THE  BOY  TRAVELLERS  IN  EGYPT,  [by  T:  W.  Knox:  Har- 
per, 1882.]  "  The  author  is  able  not  only  to  check  the  works 
he  draws  upon  to  fil  his  narrativ,  but  to  select  wisely  and  to  assim- 
ilate thoroly.  Hence,  considering  the  mass  of  information  he  im- 
parts— too  great,  at  best,  we  ar  inclined  to  think — ^lie  is  singularly 
successful  in  not  fatiguing  his  readers.  His  humor  has  much  to 
do  with  his  success.  .  .  The  account  of  the  Boulak  Museum  is  made 
very  interesting,  and  the  discovery  of  the  royal  mummies  last  year 
is  described  at  length."     [Nation.  405 

THE  CAT  OF  BUBASTES,  by  G:  "  is    a   tale   of   the    Nile    expedition 

A.  Henty.    See  "  Novels  of  Ancient  when  the  tardy  relief  corps  arrived 

Life,"  No.  10.  C406  too  late    [1885]    to  rescue   Gordon." 

THE    DASH    FOR   KHARTOUM  [Critic.  407 

[by  G:  Alfred  Henty:  Scribner,  1891] 

MARCO  POLO,  [by  G:  M.  Towle:  Lee,  1880.]  ^' The  style  is 
not  so  wel  adapted  to  children  as  ]\Ir.  Eggleston's,  being  more 
artificial.  The  book,  however,  is  not  only  entertaining  in  itself, 
but  wil  be  wliol}'  new  to  most  of  his  readers.     The  story  of  Mon- 

25 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

tezmna  everybody  has  read,  but  how  many  of  the  dass  for  whom 
the  book  is  designed  hav  even  heard  the  name  of  Marco  Polo  ? '' 
[Nation.  410 

TKAVELS  OF  MARCO  I'OLO.  [by  T:  W.  Knox:  Putnam,  1885.] 
"  A  young  member  of  a  '  Eeading  and  Geographical  Society  '  reads 
at  each  meeting  one  or  two  chapters  of  the  '  Travels,'  and  another 
folloes  with  explanations  of  obscm'e  passages  and  additional  in- 
formation in  regard  to  the  countries  and  people  described.  In 
this  way  the  greater  part  of  the  book  is  ,read  '  with  very  slight 
reduction  or  alteration.'  The  additions  to  Marco  Polo's  story  ar 
generally  wel  chosen  and  interesting,  but,  notwithstanding  all 
Mr.  Knox's  care,  a  considerable  knoledge  of  the  geography  of  Asia 
is  necessary  for  the  understanding  of  many  passages.  The  illus- 
trations ar  admu'able."     [Nation.  415 

THE  CLIFF  CLBIBEES.  [by  Mayne  Reid:  Ward,  1864.]  "  Three 
young  travelers  start  from  the  Indian  metropolis  on  a  botanical 
excursion  into  the  Himalayas,  and  before  long  they  enter  a 
secluded  valley,  lovely  as  a  tiny  Garden  of  Eden,  wel  stocked  with 
trees  and  succulent  plants,  watered  by  a  limpid  lake,  and  abound- 
ing in  deer,  wild  oxen,  etc.  It  is  lucky  for  them  that  their  little 
paradise  affords  wherewithal  to  stoc  their  larder,  for  they  soon  find 
that  the  rocs  surrounding  the  valley  ar  upright  as  the  w^alls  of  a 
fortress,  and  that  the  glacier  over  which  they  so  recently  entered 
is  now  rendered  impassible  by  a  succession  of  crevasses."  [Ath- 
enaeum. '  420 
WARRIORS  OF  THE  CRES-  pot  rulers.  Timur  or  Tamerlane,  the 
CENT,  [by  W:  Davenport  Adams:  Tartar,  is  another  conspicuous  fig- 
Appleton,  1892.]  "  The  men  whose  ure.  Then  comes  Babar  '  the  Lion,' 
lives  ar  sketched  wer  the  great  who  founded  the  Mogul  empire  in 
Sultans  of  Ghazni  and  the  great  India:  later.  Akbar  the  Great;  and 
Moguls  of  India.  Those  renowned  that  Shah  Jahan  who  wil  be  re- 
warriors  and  rulers  wer  men  of  a  membered  as  long  as  marbles  and 
fiery  spirit  and  indomitable  wil,  pos-  precious  stones  endure  by  the  match- 
sessing  in  liberal  measure  the  quali-  less  mausoleum,  the  Taj  Mahal,  bilt 
ties  which  fitted  them  to  be  conquer-  to  perpetuate  his  love  for  his  lost 
ors  and  founders  of  empires.  The  wife.  The  brilliant  list  ends  with 
very  mention  of  their  names  sug-  Aurangzib.  the  last  of  the  great  Mo- 
gests  dominion  and  conquest,  the  guls.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find, 
barbaric  magnificence,  the  cruelty  in  so  small  space,  a  more  admirable 
and  the  splendor,  the  corruption  and  account  of  these  renowned  men. 
the  tyranny  of  an  Eastern  sovran  History  under  the  author's  hand  be- 
in  an  Eastern  eoui-t.  Mahmud  the  comes  as  fascinating  as  romance." 
Great  leads  in  this  procession  of  des-      [Hostou  "  Lit.  World."  425 

26 


HISTORY:— ASIA. 


THE  BLUE  BANNER;  or  the  Ad- 
ventures of  a  Mussulman,  a  Chris- 
tian, and  a  Pagan,  in  the  Time  of 
the  Crusades  and  Mongol  Conquest. 
[by  Leon  Cahun:  Lippincott,  1878.] 
"  The  story  describes  the  adventures 
of  a  foUoer  of  Jinghis  Khan,  and  is 
crammed  with  accounts  of  bloody 
fights  [1206-21].  This  wil  commend 
it  to  the  young  reader,  while  the 
pains  which  hav  been  taken  to  se- 
cure accuracy  wil  disarm  the  objec- 
tions of  his  elders.  Those  who  care 
for  the  subleties  of  the  modei'n 
novel  wil  not  be  attracted  by  the 
tumultuous  head-breaking  and  pro- 
fuse slauter  of  this  one.  It  may  be 
our  fault  that  the  story  seems  to 
us  somewhat  confused,  but  what  is 
to  be  expected  of  an  account  of 
Jinghis  Khan?"    [Nation.  C430 

RALPH  DARNELL  [by  Meadows 
Taylor:  Blackwood,  18G6]  "  givs  pul- 
sation to  the  past  history  of  India. 
Without  such  aids,  the  matter-of- 
fact  West  would  form  but  an  im- 
perfect idea  of  that  vast  country. 
Histories  of  India  we  hav  in  plenty, 
full  and  accurate  in  detail;  narra- 
tivs  of  events,  but  dry  and  meagre 
as  records  of  the  springs  of  action 
out  of  which  gradually  a  sovranty 
has  been  added  to  the  British  em- 
pire greater  than  that  of  the  Great 
Mogul.  In  '  Tara.'  Capt.  Taylor  gave 
a  picture  of  India  during  the  fierce 
struggles  of  the  Hindoos  and  the 
Mohammedans  in  Dekkan,  toard  the 
middle  of  the  17th  century,  when 
Sivaji  Rajah  destroyed  the  army 
of  Beejapoor  at  his  fortress  capital 
of  Pertabghur,  in  1657,  and  the  Mo- 
hammedan empire  rose  to  the  zenith 
of  its  power.  The  action  of  '  Ralph 
Darnell  '  begins  in  1747,  but  the  in- 
termediate hundred  years  hav  a 
chapter  devoted  to  them,  bringing 
the  history  down  to  1756.  Ralph's 
Indian  life  is  spread  over  20  years, 
embracing     the     most      memorable 


period  of  the  rise  of  British  power 
under  Clive,  from  the  awful  day  of 
the  Black  Hole."    [Reader.         C435 

WITH  CLIVE  IN  INDIA,  [by  G: 
Alfred  Henty:  Blackie,  1SS3.]  "  The 
circumstantial  details  [1745-63]  ar 
accurately  laid  down,  and  perhaps 
the  author  has  here  contrived  to  ex- 
ceed himself  in  stirring  adventures 
and  thrilling  situations  while  the 
realities  ar  preservd."  [Saturday 
Review.  440 

WAR  AND  PEACE:  a  Tale  of  the 
Retreat  from  Cabul.  [by  "  A.  L.  O. 
E.,"  i.  e.,  C.  Maria  Tucker:  Carter, 
1863.]  "  These  four  letters  ar  regard- 
ed as  a  pledge  to  children  of  a  '  first- 
rate  '  book.  This  one  does  not  fal  belo 
the  mark.  The  sorro  and  heroism 
which  make  '  war '  a  fearful  in- 
strument of  disciplin,  and  the  bless- 
ings of  Christian  peace,  ar  repre- 
sented in  just  proportions  throu 
a  very  interesting  narrativ  of  the 
disastrous  operations  of  the  British 
in  Afghanistan  [1841].  the  materials 
being  chiefly  di:awn  from  the  jour- 
nal of  Lady  Sale."  [Church  Monthly. 

460 

THROUGH  THE  SIKH  WAR. 
[by  G:  Alfred  Henty:  Blackie,  1893.] 
"  Boys  wil  delight  in  this  story  of 
a  young  fello's  adventures  in  India 
during  that  anxious  time  [1845-49] 
when  we  beat  the  Sikhs.  The  hero, 
quite  a  boy,  goes  to  join  his  uncle. 
Percy  volunteers  for  the  English 
service,  and  with  him  we  witness 
the  sanguinary  tussles.  Mr.  Henty 
always  knoes  what  he  is  writing 
about,  and  no  inconsiderable  knol- 
edge  of  Indian  history,  life,  and  the 
intrigue  which  is  part  and  parcel 
of  it,  is  to  be  gained  from  this  emi- 
nently readable  story.  His  charac- 
ters occasionally  make  lengthy 
speeches;  and  his  descriptions  of  the 
battles  ar  so  detailed  that  the  hero 
necessarily  occupies  a  secondary 
part  in  them.    We  can   wel  under- 


27 


BOOKS   FOR    THE   YOLTXG. 

Stand  that  complaint  is  made  that  As  collateral  reading:— 

Mr.  Henty's  books  distract  boys'  at-  AUTOBIUGRAPHY    OF    MAJOR 

tention   from   more   classical    novel-  HODSON.  [Ticknor,  1S59.]    The  au- 

ists;  for  to  read  them  is  always  a  thor    "  was   a   Paladin   of   the   19th 

pleasure  and  an  instruction."    [Spec-  century,    a   brave,    dashing,    chival- 

tator.                                                  C465  rous,    gentle-tempered   fello,    and    it 

THE  SERPENT-CHARMER,  [by  is  impossible  to  read  his  letters  with- 

L:  Rousselet:  Scribner,  18S0.]    "  The  out  conceiving  the  hiest  respect  for 

plot  appears  to  be  founded  on  fact,  his    character   as   a    soldier   and  as 

but  the  book  is  rather  a  boy's  book  a  man.    The  idea  was  happily  con- 

than  a  novel,  and  is  filled  with  an  ceived  by  his  brother  to  make  him 

uninterrupted  series  of  wild  adven-  tel  the  story  of  his  life  in  his  copi- 

tures  told  in  an  agreeable  and  in-  ous    and    entertaining     correspond- 

teresting     way.      Many      European  ence,    and   the   book   has  a  certain 

households   at   isolated    stations    in  permanent    value,    in   giving   us   an 

India  wer  placed  at  the  outbreak  of  outline  of  the  Indian  rebellion  from 

the  revolt  [1S57]   in  the  position  of  a    cool,    clear-headed    and    educated 

the  Bourquien   family,   tho   few  of  man,  who  was  on  the  spot  from  the 

them  came  throu  the  terrible  inter-  beginning."    [Southern  Lit.  Messen- 

regnum    of    anarchy,    rapine,     and  ger.                                                     C4S5 
slauter  as  wel."    [Nation.           C47o 

THE  XEST  HUNTERS  [by  W:  Dalton:  London,  Hall,  1863, 
pp.  434]  "  has  interesting  and  wholesome  stories  of  travel  and 
adventure.  The  author  has  a  happy  and  ingenious  way  of  so 
^\eaving  the  fictitious  adventure  of  his  imaginary  heroes  with  the 
narrativs  of  trustworthy  travelers,  so  that  his  stories  hav  an  air 
of  reality  such  as  no  others  of  the  same  kind  possess.  His  '  plucky 
boys '  ar  this  tuMe  sent  to  that  delightful  region  of  romance,  the 
Indian  Archipelago,  where  they  hunt  the  edible  nest  of  the  sea- 
SAvallo,  pursue  tigers,  and  encounter  all  manner  of  adventures." 
[Critic.  500 

THE  STORY  OF  J:  G.  PATOX  [Armstrong,  1892]  "  tels  in  a 
simple  way  of  the  struggles  of  a  poor  Scotch  lad  to  get  an  educa- 
tion, of  his  self-denying  work  among  the  poor  of  Glasgow,  and 
of  nearly  30  years'  toil  among  the  cannibals  of  the  New  Hebrides. 
Few  books  of  adventm'e  hav  such  thrilling  incidents  as  ar  nar- 
rated by  this  missionary,  whose  perils  from  storm,  sicness,  and 
the  hostility  of  the  nativs  wer  equalled  only  by  the  courage  and 
])atience  with  which  he  endured  them.  Nor  ar  there  any  more 
attractiv  pictures  of  savage  life  than  those  which  ^Ir.  Faton  draws 
of  these  poor  ilanders  after  they  had  become  Christians.''  [Na 
tion.  505 

28 


GEOGRAPHY :— ASIA. 

THE  BOY  TRAVELLERS  IN  THE  FAR  EAST  [by  T:  W. 
Knox :  Harper,  1879]  "  is  crammed  witli  pictorial  and  other  infor- 
mation;^ the  writer  speaks  mostly  from  an  unusual  personal  ex- 
perience in  foreign  parts ;  and  his  '  two  youths '  ar  properly  put 
in  charge  of  an  older  person,  so  that  there  is  nothing  sensational  or 
unreal  in  their  doings."     [Nation.  510 

SAME,  Siam  and  Java  [1880].  "  What  this  extensiv  tour- 
ist has  seen  is  again  deftly  supplemented  by  selections,  with  due 
credit,  from  approved  works  on  the  various  countries  under  con- 
sideration— e.  g.,  for  Siam,  Vincent's  '  Land  of  the  White  Elephant,' 
Yule's  '  ]kIarco  Polo '  and  Edwin  Arnold  s  '  Light  of  Asia '  ar 
likewise  made  use  of,  and  the  result  is  a  surprising  variety  of 
information,  which  frequently  becomes  episodical,  as  in  the  cases 
of  alligators,  elephants,  pearl-di^dng,  etc.  .  .  Its  utUity  would  hav 
been  greatly  enhanced  by  an  index,  for  the  sake  of  which  some 
of  the  gaudiness  of  the  binding  could  hav  been  dispensed  with." 
[Nation.  550 

PHAULCON  THE  ADYEN-  of  Christianity  iu  Siam  wer  tlie  priu- 
TURER  [by  W:  Dalton:  Beeton,  eipal  cause  of  liis  brief  but  brilliant 
1862]  "  lias  adopted  the  same  plan  prosperity,  and  afterwards  of  liis 
as  that  Avhich  he  pursued  in  his  sudden  and  disastrous  downfall; 
romantic  biography  of  '  Will  Ad-  and  their  history,  together  with  that 
ams.'  endowing  his  hero  with  an  of  the  brave,  self-devoted,  and  ener- 
historie  name,  and  availing  him-  getic  men  who  strove  to  establish 
self  of  truths  so  far  as  they  serv  an  empire  in  the  East  ar  made  more 
his  purpos  and  form  a  fitting  foun-  exciting,  and  yet  not  less  faithful, 
dation  for  his  fictitious  biography,  by  the  picturesque  arrangement  to 
The  remarkable  career  of  the  fa-  which  Mr.  Dalton  has  resorted.  The 
mous  Greek  is  admirably  adapted  chapters  descriptiv  of  the  Portu- 
for  the  purposes  of  historic  fiction,  guese  settlement  on  the  Meinam  ar 
and  he  has  contrived  to  lend  it  all  interestmg;  and  the  author  con- 
the  lustre  of  romance.  He  has  based  trives,  with  much  skil,  to  convey  an 
his  narrativ  on  the  works  of  the  instructiv  account  of  the  manners, 
Jesuit  fathers,  D' Orleans  [1692]  and  customs,  morals,  and  political  con- 
Tachard  [1689].  He  intermingles  dition  of  Ayuthia,  the  old  metropo- 
with  the  personal  adventures  of  lis  of  Siam,  without  departing  from 
Phaulcon  several  graphic  scenes  il-  his  function  of  story-telling  into  re- 
lustrativ  of  the  doings  of  his  French  gions  of  undue  weight  and  serious- 
contemporaries.  The  exertions  of  ness."  [Parthenon.  C553 
Phaulcon  in  the  cause  of  the  spread 

SAME,    Ceylon   and    India    [1881].     "The   author's    two 

young  gentlemen  and  their  care-taker  hav  some  reality  about  them, 
thanks  to  his  possessing  a  sense  of  humor.     T\Tiat  he  has  seen,  too, 

29 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOLTNG. 

enables  him  to  appropriate  and  assimilate  thoroly  what  he  acknol- 
edges  having  borroed  from  other  authorities."     [Nation.  555 

OUE  BOYS  IN  CHINA  [by  H:  W.  French:  Lee,  1883]  "is  not 
a  mere  book  of  travels, — it  contains  a  good  story.  This  is  a  good 
thing,  because  the  text  is  not  so  full  of  dialog  as  Mr.  Greey's,  nor 
so  spicy  with  jokes  and  anecdotes  as  Mr.  Knox's.  The  illustrations 
ar  abundant  and  intelligently  chosen,  and  the  clearly  given  infor- 
mation is  conveyed  in  a  lively  style  without  ever  overweighting 
the  story.  Even  to  those  who  hav  read  many  books  on  China, 
the  one  before  us  is  interesting,  and  it  wil  hold  a  boy's  attention." 
[Nation.  575 

THE  WAR  TIGER,  [by  W:  Dal-  eut  sea-king,  and  a  person  of  weight 

ton:  Griffitli,  1858.]  Tbe  autlior,  who  and  influence  in  the  business  of  the 

has  evidently  made  Chinese  history  empire.      The    adventures    of    this 

and  everything  connected  with  the  youth    in    his    efforts    to    reach   the 

extraordinary   people   of   China   his  throne  and  persuade  the  emperor  of 

peculiar  study,  has  fixed  upon  the  the  treason  that  is  undermining  his 

epoch  which  marked  the  fall  of  the  dynasty  in  his  own  court,  his  efforts 

last   of  the   emperors   of  the   Ming  to  sustain  the  falling  monarch,  and 

dynasty   [1644],  and  the  reconquest  his  rescue  of  the  princess,  the  eni- 

of  the  land  by  the  Tartars,  as  the  peror's  dauter,  from  a  thousand  dif- 

historical    basis    on    which    his    ro-  ficulties  and  dangers,  ar  the  themes 

mauce  is  built.    The  hero  is  a  youth,  upon  which  the  fictitious  portion  of 

the  son  of  a  wealthy  merchant,  who,  the  narrativ  is  founded."    [Lit.  Ga- 

as  the  owner  of  a  large  trading  fleet,  zette.                                                    585 
is  looked  upon  as  a  sort  of  independ- 

THE  ENGLISH  BOY  IN  JAPAN,  [by  W:  Dalton:  London, 
Nelson,  1858,  pp.  308.]  "  Like  most  good  books  for  boys,  to  men 
also  this  volume  wil  be  more  interesting  than  more  pretending 
volumes  of  history  and  travel.  The  incidents  ar  exciting  enuf  to 
stimulate  curiosity,  yet  not  improbable  enuf  to  create  disgust. 
There  is  nothing  told  which  might  not  hav  happened,  and  the 
reader  is  gratified  by  finding  that  the  romance  ends  in  a  legitimate 
way,  with  virtue  rewarded,  justice  done,  and  a  happy  lot  to  all  the 
heroes.  .  .  The  scenery  of  Japan,  harbors,  gardens,  roads,  hils, 
volcanoes,  earthquakes,  rulers  and  people,  court  practices,  street 
practices,  and  life  on  shipboard, — all  the  pleasant  and  all  the 
grotesque  features  of  the  Japanese  land  and  life, — ar  brot  into  the 
easy  reading  of  three  or  four  hours."     [North  Amer.  Review.     600 

YOUNG  AMERICANS  IN  JAl^lN.  [by  E:  Greey:  Lee  &  Shep- 
ard,  1881.]     "  If  all  the  makers  of  boys'  books  on  foreign  countries 

30 


GEOGRAPHY :— JAPAN. 

wer  as  conscientiously  accurate  in  spirit  and  details  as  Mr.  Greey, 
the  adults  of  the  next  generation  would  be  saved  much  vicious 
prejudice.  The  text  is  a  pretty  lively  and  amusing  story  of  travel 
from  Nagasaki,  overland  and  by  way  of  the  Inland  Sea,  to 
Tokio.  There,  the  hilarious  comments  of  Johnnie  and  Fitz,  the 
criticism  of  Mrs.  Jewett  and  Sallie,  and  the  sage  and  explanatory 
remarks  of  the  professor  on  the  objects  seen  in  theu^  travels,  end. 
Fun  without  caricature,  facts  A\ithout  dulness,  abound  in  this  most 
interesting  book,"     [Nation.  605 

THE  WONDEKFUL  CITY  OF  TOKIO.  [by  E:  Greey:  Lee, 
1882.]  "  The  Jewett  family  not  only  go  out  to  see  the  sights,  but 
study  the  detaU  of  lacquer,  porcelain,  fan-making,  ink,  and  dry- 
goods,  so  that  much  really  valuable  information  is  conveyd  to 
the  reader  in  a  pleasing  way.  The  book  opens  a  windo  into  the 
mysteries  of  Japanese  art-production,  and  to  hav  read  it  is  for  the 
American  boy  or  girl  an  introduction  to  a  fascinating  study." 
[Nation.  610 

THE  BEAR  AYORSHIPPERS  OF  YEZO  [by  E:  Greey:  Lee, 
1883]  "  is  mai'ked  by  accuracy  in  details,  and  to  sympathetic 
observation  is  added  the  fruit  of  critical  reading  of  nativ  and 
foreign  authors.  Tlie  author  takes  us  into  Yezo  and  Karafuto, 
or  Saghalin.  We  brush  against  Ainos,  Japanese,  Russians,  and 
the  various  savage  tribes  on  the  frontier  of  the  Czar  and  Mikado. 
With  pen  and  pencil  the  author  depicts  the  bear-hunts,  festivals, 
worship,  courtship  and  social  customs,  fishing,  hunting  and  trap- 
ping, and  makes  a  story  both  readable  and  hily  amusing.  It  is 
interesting  to  study  the  Yankee  among  the  seal-hunters,  as  wel 
as  to  see  the  Ainos  as  the  Japanese  see  them."     [Nation.  615 

WILL   ADAMS,    [by   W:   Dalton:  renew    our   acquaintance   with   him 

Bennett,    I860.]      "  This   booli    is   a  under  the  guise  of  a  wel-written  fic- 

story,  but  it  possesses  in  large  meas-  tion.    But  interesting  tho  the  tale  be, 

ure  tlie  interest  of  an  historical  nar-  and    tho    many    of    the    imaginary 

ratiy.    Will  Adams  was  one  of  those  scenes  ar  grafically   described,   Mr. 

fine  old  naval  heroes  of  whom  we  Dalton  desei'vs  the  most  praise  for 

Englishmen  may  wel  be  proud,  and  the  admirable  manner  in  which  he 

as  the  first  of  our  countrymen  who  portrays   the   state    of    Japan    more 

livd  in  Japan,   and  who  livd   there  than  two  hundred  years  ago."    [Lit. 

at  an  eventful  period,  we  ar  glad  to  Gazette.  670 

AJMIISING  AD^'ENTURES  [by  H:  Tyrrell:  N.  Y„  Leslie,  1886] 
"  is  a  wel  described  journey  of  three  American  lads  from  New  York 

31 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

to  India.  They  TLsit  London,  Paris,  Venice  and  Vienna,  and 
pass  throu  Servia  and  Bulgaria  on  their  way  to  (Constantinople 
dui'ing  the  war  of  1885.  Their  route  thence  to  India  is  by  the 
Black  Sea,  Persia,  and  Afghanistan.  A  good  deal  of  geographical 
and  historical  information  is  conveyed  in  an  entertaining  way, 
and  probably  few  young  readers  would  detect  the  fact  that  the 
book  is  written  for  the  pictures,  which  ar  very  numerous  and  in 
many  places  exceedingly  good."     [Nation.  700 

ZIG  ZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  LEVANT,  [by  Hezekiah  But- 
terworth :  Estes,  1885.]  "  The  narrativ  is  a  curious  conglomerate 
of  Cook's  ticke(ts,  Talmudic  legends,  Christian  hymns,  stories 
from  ancient  history,  paragraphs  on  contemporary  politics  and 
tallc  like  this :  '  Charlie  greatly  loved  his  father's  companionship. 
The  friendship  between  fathers  and  sons  is  a  pleasing  featm'e  of 
Boston  life.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  foi-  a  Boston  boy  to 
choose  his  ow^n  father  for  his  confidential  companion  and  most 
intimate  friend.'  This  is  twaddle,  and  it  is  sprinkled  all  throu 
the  book.  .  .  The  pictures  ar  from  poor  to  ordinary."  [Boston 
"Lit.  World."  70.3 

THE  BOY  TRAVELLERS  IN  THE  LEVANT  [by  T:  W.  Knox: 
Harper,  1894]  "takes  the  young  tourists  along  the  southern  coast 
of  the  Mediterranean  to  Carthage,  and  thence  to  Greece,  the  Troad, 
Constantinople,  Smyrna  and  Cyprus.  It  provides  plenty  of  infor- 
mation for  boys  and  girls  who  hav  a  sound  digestion  for  facts 
and  dates  and  ar  not  too  fond  of  plumcake ;  it  is  also  wel  supported 
in  the  matter  of  illustrations.  The  book  is  sensibly  and  pleasantly 
written,  but  sometimes  savors  rather  strongly  of  the  guide-book." 
[Nation.  705 

THREE  VASSAR  GIRLS  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND,  [by  E..  (W.) 
Champney:  Estes,  189.3.]  "  Mrs.  Champney  has  more  of  the  novelist 
in  her  than  most  of  the  school  of  book-makers  to  which  she  belongs. 
Her  girls  go  to  Palestine  with  that  ease  which  characterizes  all 
these  book  travelers.  They  see  everything  of  which  a  picture 
exists,  and  some  member  of  the  party  is  always  prepared  with  the 
necessary  historical  and  archaeological  information;  but,  in  addi- 
tion, a  story  of  character  and  adventure  is  cleverly  worked  out, 
and  the  reader  feels  that  he  or  she  has  taken  in  ever  so  much 
information  throu  the  pores  of  the  fiction."     [Atlantic.  710 

32 


GEOGRAPHY :— EUROPE. 


COUNT  ROBERT  OF  PARIS,  [by 
A^'altel•  Scott,  1831.]  "  The  scene  is 
Constantinople— the  time,  that  of  the 
Second  Crusade  [1147-9]— and  the 
chief  persons  ar  princesses  and  pala- 
dins. There  is  great  variety  of  hu- 
man character,  and  picturesque 
groupings  of  all  the  leading  nations 
and  popular  religions:  we  hav  the 
polished  and  wily  Greek— the  blunt 
and  valorous  Frank— the  fierce  and 
activ  Saracen — in  short,  the  cour- 
tesy and  villany  of  the  finest  civ- 
ilization, and  the  blunt  sincere  sym- 
pathy of  the  semi-barbarous.  Of  all 
these,  the  most  natural,  as  wel  as 
the  most  heroic  character,  is  Here- 
ward  of  Hamilton:  one  of  those 
Saxons  whom  the  stern  policy  of 
William  the  Conqueror  had  obliged 
to  seek  fortune  where  it  was  best 
found,  and  who,  accordingly,  trans- 
ferred his  courage  and  his  hatred 
of  the  Norman  name  to  the  ranks 
of  the  Varangian  gards  of  Alexios 
Comnenos."  [Athenaeum.]— For  the 
later  career  of  Hereward  see 
"  Hereward."  715 

FIGHTING  THE  SARACENS, 
[by  G:  Alfred  Henty:  Brown,  1891.] 
"  At  16  the  hero  is  knited  by  King 
Richard.  There  ar  various  encoiuit- 
ers  with  Arabs,  in  all  of  which  he 
comes  off  victorious;  he  is  equally 
successful   in   defying  the  Tyrolese 


on  the  way  home.  At  18  he  is  in 
England,  created  Earl  of  Evesham, 
betrothed  to  his  cousin-heiress,  and 
making  head  against  King  John. 
We  leave  this  gilded  youth  at  20,  a 
belted  Earl,  a  husband,  and  a  privy 
counselor— everything,  in  fact,  ex- 
cept a  widoer  and  a  grandfather, 
which  a  man  can  hope  to  become  by 
good  desert  at  three  score  years  and 
ten."    [Boston  "  Lit.  World."         718 

CRUSADERS  AND  CAPTIVES 
[by  G:  W.  Merrill:  Boston,  DeWolfe, 
1890]  "  narrates  with  spirit  the 
Children's  Crusade  [1212].  The 
story  of  the  boy-preacher,  Stephen, 
the  shepherd  who  won  to  his  belief 
the  young  lord  Louis  of  Montrose 
and  his  fair  sister  Margaret,  and  of 
the  gallant  army  of  30.000  children 
who  set  forth  [1212]  to  defy  the 
Moslem  hosts,  is  one  too  striking  to 
fail  in  attracting  youthful  eyes  to 
its  perusal.  There  wil  be  no  dis- 
appointment in  store  for  those  who 
seek  pleasure  and  profit  in  these 
pages."    [Critic.  720 

THE  BOY  CRUSADERS,  [by  J: 
G:  Edgar:  Cassell,  1865.]  "  The  au- 
thor folloes  Joinville,  and  the  charm- 
ing simplicity  of  his  original  has 
lent  an  extra  inspiration  to  his  pen." 
[Reader.  722 

THE  CIRCASSIAN  BOY,  by  Ler- 
montof :  Boston,  1875.  730 


WHAT  KATY  DID  NEXT,  [by  "Susan  Coolidge":  Roberts, 
1886.]  "Katy  goes  to  Europe,  and  is  so  fortunate  as  to  enjoy 
the  novelties  and  beauties  which,  she  sees,  with  ideal  enthusiasm. 
Somehow^  despite  the  familiarity  of  the  g:round,  the  story  does 
not  lac  interest  and  freshness.  The  book  is  bright,  sensible,  and 
entertaining."     [Nation.  735 

PERSONALLY  CONDUCTED,  [by  Frank  R:  Stockton:  Scrib- 
ner,  1889.]  "  The  author  assumes  that  he  is  accompanied  by  all 
his  readers,  and  we  w^ander  from  place  to  place  with  a  dim  con- 
sciousness of  being  one  of  a  party  of  eager  boys  and  girls  who 
jostle  each  other  good-humoredly  in  their  efforts  to  keep  close  to 


33 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

their  genial  '  conductor,'  as  lie  describes  this  or  that  object  of  in- 
terest. We  smile  with  them  as  he  points  out  at  Home  the  den 
'in  which  the  old  wolf  established  her  little  oiphan  asylum,'  or 
gravely  doubts  whether  the  Pallavicinis  in\it.ed  the  Empress 
Maria  Theresa  to  sit  doAAii  in  one  of  their  squirting  swings,  or 
pictures  Oiotto  as  buying  one  of  Mr.  Ruskin's  books  to  find  out 
what  he  meant  by  some  of  his  groups  and  symbols  on  the  Cam- 
panile at  Florence,  or  refers  to  those  schools  in  England  with 
*  classes  where  ignorance  of  America  is  taut  to  the  pupils.'  The 
descriptions  hav  just  enuf  history  to  quicken  the  intelligence  and 
not  overtask  the  memory.  The  best  chapters  ar  possibly  those  in 
which  ar  described  English  country  life  and  scenery."     [Nation. 

710 

ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  BRITISH  ISLES.  [  by  Hezekiah 
Butterworth:  Estes,  1889.]  "The  author  journeys  to  the  scenes 
of  the  old  English  fireside  tales  and  gets  at  the  originals  of  Shaks- 
pere's  and  Mother  Goose's  stories.  He  travels  in  the  land  of  Moore 
and  Goldsmith,  tarries  in  the  region  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  and 
sets  before  us  the  origins  of  old  English  Christmas  stories  and 
ballads  in  a  most  enticing  way."     [Critic.  750 

THE  BOY  TRAVELLERS  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN  [by  T:  W. 
Knox :  Harper,  1890]  "  is  an  effort  to  roll  into  one  an  itinerary,  a 
guide-book,  a  history  and  a  gazetteer.  .  .  It  wil  be  pondered  with 
pleasm'e  by  those  who  hav  traveled,  and  wil  recall  much  which  is 
of  interest.  It  emphasizes  many  of  the  differences  which  exist  in 
ways  of  life.  It  could  not,  however,  be  trusted  as  a  guide  in  laying 
out  a  tour,  and  it  wil  scarcely  be  carried  as  a  lamp  to  the  feet  on 
the  road."  [Nation.] — "  The  sub-title.  Adventures  of  Two  Youths 
in  a  Journey  throu  Ireland,  Scotland,  Wales  and  England,  with 
Visits  to  the  Hebrides  and  the  Isle  of  ^lan,  indicates  the  scope 
of  the  book.  If  one  does  not  ask  too  much  in  the  way  of  charac- 
terization of  young  people,  and  is  indifferent  to  graces  of  style, 
he  can  pic  uj)  a  good  deal  of  information,  as  he  could  hav  done 
if  the  main  matter  of  the  book  had  been  used  baldly  as  material 
for  a  scrapbook.  The  author  sometimes  takes  one  also  out  of  the 
beaten  trac,  as  when  he  treats  of  moc  parliaments  and  house-boats. 
There  is  a  profusion  of  good  pictures."     [Atlantic.  755 

34 


GEOGRAPHY :— ENGLAND. 

THE  BODLEYS  IN  ENGLAND,  [by  H.  E.  Sciidder:  Houghton, 
1883.]  "  Some  items  of  interest  can  be  gleaned  from  it  by  patience 
and  perseverance ;  and  those  cautious  purchasers  whose  special  aim 
is  to  avoid  placing  anything  injurious  before  the  eyes  of  youth 
wil  welcome  its  advent.  But  the  boy  or  girl  of  spirit  (from  a 
literary  point  of  vue)  wil  prefer  instruction  less  diluted,  entertain- 
ment more  spicy.  The  style,  meant  to  be  easy,  lapses  occasionally 
into  carelessness."     [Nation.  760 

A  YACHT  VOYAGE  ABOUND  ENGLAND,  [by  W:  H:  Giles 
Kingston :  Chicago,,  Bevell,  1890.]  "  A  party  of  schoolboys  spend 
the  summer  in  visiting  the  principal  English  seaports,  one  of  the 
number  being  the  historian.  TMiile  the  style  is  generally  marked 
by  a  boyish  simplicity,  considerable  descriptiv  power  is  shown, 
the  author's  familiarity  with  the  sea  being  constantly  evident. 
Especially  good  is  the  account  of  the  rescue  of  a  shipwrecked  crew 
by  a  life-boat,  ^luch  historical  information  is  given  of  the  places 
visited,  together  with  descriptions  of  docyards,  harbors,  lighthouses, 
life-saving  apparatus,  fishing  fleets,  and  in  fact  nearly  everything 
which  would  be  seen  on  such  a  voyage,  including  the  resuscitation 
of  a  half-drowned  person.  There  ar  numerous  wel-chosen  pictures, 
which,  tho  not  very  new,  giv  the  book  an  attractiv  appearance." 
[Nation.  765 

THE  PILOTS  OF  POMONA  [by  Bo.  Leighton:  Scribner,  1891] 
"  has  for  its  scene  of  action  the  Orkney  Hands.  Adventure 
abounds,  and  is  in  general  probable  enuf.  .  .  Mr.  Leighton's  style 
is  thoroly  good,  with  a  judicious  admixture  of  dialect.  The  careful 
descriptions  of  scenery,  animals  and  plants,  together  with  manners 
and  ways  of  life,  hav  every  appearance  of  accm'acy,  and  may  wel 
interest  not  only  the  boys,  but  their  fathers  and  mothers  too." 
[Nation.  770 

50-61.  the   burning   of   the   Imperial   City. 
Beric  the  Briton  goes  to  Rome  with 

BERIC  THE  BRITON  [by  G:  Al-  a   band   of   his   uativ    folloers,    and 

fred  Henty:  Scribner.  1892]  "  is  tlie  the  vicissitudes  that  he  experiences 

story   of  the   Roman   invasion,   and  there  form  tlie  frameworlv  of  a  most 

givs  pictnresque  scenes  of  such  wel  instrnctiv  and  entertaining  account 

known  historical  events  as  the  de-  of  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 

feat  of  Queen  Boadicea  and  the  de-  Roman  people  at  that  time,  from  a 

struction  of  her  towns,   and  the  li-  gladiatorial  fight  with  lions  '  in  the 

centious  court  of  Nero  at  Rome,  and  areua,  face  to  face  with  death  and 

35 


BOOKS    FOK    THE    YOUNG. 


the  Roman  populace,'  down  to  the 
hour  when  the  city  has  become  a 
smoking  ruin.  Whether  or  no  Nero 
fiddled  during  the  conflagration,  as 
is  popularly  supposed,  Mr.  Henty 
does  not  say.  In  the  end  the  sturdy 
Beric  goes  bac  to  England,  the  gov- 
ernor of  a  Roman  province."  [Critic. 

771 
337-340. 

THE  COUNT  OF  THE  SAXON 
SHORE  [by  Alfred  J:  Church:  See- 
ley,— Putnam,  1SS7]  "  is  an  historical 
romance,  with  varied  and  exciting 
adventures,  and  presenting  a  really 
valuable  picture  of  a  little-known 
period.  The  characters  ar  wel  drawn 
—that  of  Carna,  the  British  maiden, 
particularly  wel;  while  the  Count 
Aelius,  the  Saxon  captiv  Cedric,  the 
Romanized  Briton  Martiauus,  and 
the  usurping  Emperor  Constantino 
ar  hardly  less  so.  Mr.  Church  is 
fortunate  in  his  choice  of  a  period 
and  a  locality  so  wholy  fresh  and 
unhacneyed  and  at  the  same  time 
possessing  so  great  historical  in- 
terest. The  story  is  ingeniously 
made  to  introduce  the  great  Druid 
temple  Avhich  we  kno  as  Stone- 
henge;  and  a  Pictish  raid,  with  the 
capture  and  sac  of  Winchester 
(Yenta  Belgarum),  ads  interest  to 
the  narrativ."    [Nation.  772 

510-42. 

THE  AGE  OF  CHIVALRY,  [by 
T:  Bulfinch:  Boston,  Crosby,  1859.] 
"  The  romantic  tales  which  wer  the 
literature  of  the  hier  class  before  the 
art  of  printing  related  to  knights, 
dragons,  enchanted  castles,  dun- 
geons, giants,  and  fair  ladies,  and 
contained  many  references  to  the 
customs  and  manners  of  the  times. 
It  is  these  tales  which  Mr.  Bulfinch 
has  collected,  modernized,  and  now 
presents  to  the  public.  That  such  a 
prince  as  Arthur  ever  livd  [510-42?] 


there  is  some  doubt;  but  no  doubt 
that  the  tales  and  romances  con- 
tained in  the  '  Age  of  Chivalry  '  ar 
as  old  as  the  hils,  if  not  older.  Dante, 
Ariosto  and  Boccaccio,  Spenser,  Mil- 
ton and  Scott,  and  Longfellow  and 
Lowell,  hav  each  told,  in  comely 
verse,  some  portions  of  these  en- 
chanting tales.  The  book  before  us 
is  divided  into  two  parts;  the  first 
being  devoted  to  King  Arthur  and 
his  knights,  and  the  second  to  the 
Mabinogion,  or  Welsh  popular 
tales."  [Home  Journal.]—"  We  ar  ac- 
quainted with  no  other  compendious 
manual  of  the  mythology  of  the  Mid- 
dle Age— a  mythology  with  as  fixed 
forms,  as  commonly  received  tradi- 
tions, and  as  intimate  relations  with 
language,  literature,  and  life  in  its 
own  and  succeeding  times,  as  the 
body  of  Greek  or  Roman  fable.  We 
can  only  express  our  emphatic  and 
unqualified  praise,  alike  of  matter 
and  manner,  alike  as  to  what  the 
book  contains  and  what  it  excludes." 
[North  Amer.  Review.  773 

THE  BOY'S  MABINOGION.  [by 
Sidney  Lanier:  Scribner,  ISSl.] 
"  This  delightful  series  of  boys' 
books  comes  to  an  end  with  '  The 
Boy's  Mabinogion,'  a  companion  vol- 
ume to  his  '  Froissart '  and  '  King 
Arthur.'  These  weird  Welsh  tales 
open  to  the  young  reader  a  new  and 
strange  mine  of  legend,  '  tho  not 
so  rich  as  the  '  Arabian  Nights,' 
they  ar  more  vigorous,  and  their 
fascination  is  of  a  more  manful 
character.'  Their  distinctiv  pecu- 
liarity, as  is  shown  in  the  introduc- 
tion, is  an  extravagance  and  grotes- 
queness,  and  '  a  greater  sense  of 
foreignness,  of  a  wholy  different  cul- 
tus,  than  even  Chinese  or  other  an- 
tipodal tales.'  "  [Nation.  774 
THE  STORY  OF  ALEXANDER. 
[by  Robert  Steele:  Macmillau,  1S94.] 
"  This  history  is  delightfully  desti- 
tute of  fact,  and  presents  only  the 


36 


HISTORY:— ENGLAND. 


marvelous  and  fanciful  legends  of 
the  Middle  Ages,  in  which  Alex- 
ander is  made  a  son  of  Auectanabus, 
King  of  Egypt,  conquers  Sir  Balaan 
of  Tyre  as  well  as  Gog  and  Magog, 
and  visits  Jerusalem,  where  he  is 
humbly  received  by  the  bishop  and 
the  mayor,  attired  in  gorgeous  silks 
from  Tartary.  Fortunately.  Buce- 
phalus is  retained  intact,  and  pran- 
ces throu  the  story  with  all  his  an- 
cient fascinations.  The  illustrations 
and  the  book  ar  very  dainty  and 
charming."    [Nation.  775 

JAUFREY  THE  KNIGHT  and 
the  Fair  Brunissende:  a  Tale  of  the 
Times  of  King  Arthur  [by  Mary- 
Lafon:  London,  Addey,  1S56]  "is 
representativ  of  the  old  romance.  It 
is  said  to  be  taken  from  the  rimes 
of  the  troubadours  in  the  13th  cen- 
tury. It  claims  from  us  an  utter 
and  complete  abandonment  of  the 
mind  to  the  old  notions  of  knights- 
errant  and  of  the  sort  of  adventures 
they  encountered.  Mr.  Elwes  givs 
a  color  to  his  translation  by  printing 
it  in  prose,  which  is,  for  the  most 
part,  blank  verse  printed  prose-wise. 
The  effect  is  good,  because  the 
stilted  pace,  the  pompous  inver- 
sions, and  the  ridiculously  artificial 
way  of  telling  artificial  things,  ar 
all  in  keeping  with  the  sort  of 
thots  presented  to  the  mind.  .  .  It 
is  admirably  illustrated  by  Dore, 
who  has  gone  to  work  Avith  a  most 
humorous  sense  of  what  he  Avas 
about.  He  is  desperately  serious 
and  romantic,  yet  in  every  picture 
there  may  be  found  a  something 
corresponding  to  the  twitch  about 
the  corner  of  the  mouth  in  a  man 
whose  jest  it  is  to  look  portentous." 
[Examiner.  77G 

THE  HISTORY  OF  SIR  T: 
THUMB  [by  C.  M..  Youge,  1859] 
"  tels  the  story  of  Tom  Thumb  in 
association  with  the  story  of  King 
Arthur.  ]Many  a  young  reader  wil 
obtain  throu  this  book  a  first  peep 


into  the  fairy  land  of  Arthurian 
romance.  It  is  a  new  story,  faith- 
ful throughout  to  old  legend,  and 
told  gracefully  with  many  a  little 
turn  of  independent  fancy."  [Ex- 
aminer. 777 

THE  STORY  OF  KING  ARTHUR, 
[by  J.  T.  Knowles:  Griflith,  1861.] 
"  The  stories  ar  narrated  in  simple 
language.  The  book  wil  be  very 
pleasant  to  boys  not  yet  ripe  for 
the  '  Idyls  of  the  King.'  To  them 
Arthur  wil  always  be  a  hero,  and 
Guenivere,  Lancelot,  and  '  the  bold 
Sir  Bedivere,'  real  entities.  The  au- 
thor tels  us  that  he  has  '  done  little 
but  abridge  and  simplify  Sir  T: 
Mallory's  Collection  of  the  Leg- 
ends.' "    [Critic.  778 

THE  BOY'S  KING  ARTHUR,  [ed- 
ited by  Sidney  Lanier:  Scribner, — 
Low,  1880.]  "  We  do  not  see  the 
necessity  for  a  specially  boyish 
King  Arthur.  Malory's  book 
has  always  been  a  favorit,  not  only 
with  boys  of  some  literary  turn,  but 
with  boys  in  general.  The  charming 
language  of  Malory,  the  constant 
and  bloody  battles,  the  mystic  leg- 
end of  the  Grail,  the  splendid  and 
stately  rhetoric  of  the  concluding 
chapters,  make  Malory's  book  the 
English  classic  of  boyhood."  [Sat- 
urday Review.  779 

STORIES  OF  THE  DAYS  OF 
KING  ARTHUR  [by  C.  H.  Hanson: 
Nelson,  1882]  "  is  a  capital  book  for 
boys.  The  author  asserts  that  it  is 
'  the  most  complete  epitome  of  the 
Arthurian  legends  which  has  been 
prepared  for  young  people ' — Mr. 
Lanier's  '  Boy's  King  Author '  con- 
sisting entirely  of  extracts  from  Sir 
T:  Malory,  while  the  present  com- 
pilation embraces  many  legends  of 
which  Malory  took  no  account.  It 
is  a  question  whether  the  fulness 
of  narration  in  Mr.  Lanier's  stories 
wil  not  make  up  for  the  greater 
completeness  of  this  selection;  it 
favors  uniformity  of  style,  at  any 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


rate,  for  it  is  entirely  in  Malory's 
words,  while  here  we  hav  passages 
in  the  editor's  modern  style  side  by 
side  with  others  in  which  '  the 
quaint  style  of  Malory  '  is  pre- 
servd.  The  book  is  so  good,  how- 
ever, that  Ibis  slight  blemish  (if  it 
be  one)  is  hardly  noticed."    [Nation. 

780 

TALES  OF  KING  ARTHUR  and 
His  Knights  of  the  Round  Table 
[by  Ma.  Vere  Farringtou:  Putnam, 
1888]  "  is  a  handsom  volume,  wel 
illustrated.  It  is  pleasantly  written, 
tho  not  always  with  sufficient  care; 
and  wil  giv  our  young  people  a 
good  idea  of  various  of  the  Arthur- 
ian legends.  It  is,  of  course,  im- 
possible, in  treating  material  of  this 
kind,  to  avoid  some  presentation  of 
ideas  which  we  dislike  to  put  be- 
fore boys  and  girls,  but  these  our 
author  has  touched  very  lightly." 
[Nation.  781 

LEGENDARY  TALES  OF  THE 
ANCIENT  BRITONS,  [by  L..  L.  J. 
Menzies:  Smith,  1864.]  "  '  The  follo- 
ing  legends,'  says  the  preface,  '  hav 
been  selected  from  those  preservd 
in  the  '  Chronicle  of  Geoffrey  of 
Monmouth.'  Her  selection  in- 
cludes '  The  Legend  of  the  Brothers 
Beli  and  Bran,'  '  The  Legend  of  Al- 
ban  of  Verulam,'  '  The  Legend  of 
Esyllt  and  Sabrina,'  dear  to  Milton, 
and  '  The  Legend  of  Lear  and  his 
Three  Dauters ';  and  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  the  hope  of  the  author, 
'  that  they  may  serv  to  kindle  in 
the  minds  of  those  who  read  them  a 
love  for  the  men  who  in  olden 
times  trod  the  soil  we  tread,  and  to 
giv  them  fuller  enjoyment  of  tho 
great  poets  of  their  country,'  wil  be 
amply  realized.  The  tenderness  of 
some  of  the  tales  is  such  that  one 
frequently  fancies  he  is  reading  a 
prose  version  of  the  '  Idylls  '  of  Ten- 
nyson; and  whether  we  turn  the 
compliment     on     the    Laureate     or 


the  Legend,  it  holds  equally  true  of 
both."    [Reader.  782 

CAED WALLA  [by  Frank  Cowper: 
Seeley,  1887]  "  is  a  story  of  the 
Saxons  in  the  Isle  of  Wight  and 
Sussex.  As  a  story  it  might  be 
more  interesting,  tho  both  care  and 
skil  ar  evident  in  the  description  of 
the  social  condition  of  the  Saxons 
and  the  sketches  of  monks."  [Sat- 
urday Review.]—"  How  Caedwalla 
conquers  Edilwalch  and  takes  pos- 
session of  Cissanceaster,  and  later 
kils  the  brutal  Arwald  and  recovers 
the  realm  of  Wessex,  and  then,  re- 
linquishing his  throne,  goes  to  Rome 
as  a  pilgrim;  also  how  Aedric  and 
Wulfstan  ar  restored  to  their  father, 
who  is  concealed  in  the  ruins  of  the 
Roman  villa  at  Bradiug— we  leave 
the  intelligent  reader  to  discover. 
The  story  abounds  in  incident  both 
exciting  and  amusing."  [Athen- 
aeum. 783 
871-901. 

THE  SEA-KINGS  IN  ENGLAND. 
[by  Edwin  Atherstone:  Cadell,  1830.] 
"  The  fortunes  of  Alfred  hav  been 
chanted  in  epic,  celebrated  in  lyric, 
ode,  and  hymn,  represented  in 
drama  and  melodrama,  narrated  in 
history,  and  embellished  in  romance 
and  novel ;  and  yet,  neither  in  poetry 
nor  prose,  has  any  work  been  pro- 
duced approaching  to  a  realization 
of  those  charms  which  our  early 
conceived  notions  and  associations 
surround  the  character.  .  .  Ed- 
mund is  the  hero  of  the  tale,  and 
the  son  of  Alfred's  brother.  This 
youth  is  placed  in  the  monastery 
of  Glastonbury,  with  the  destruction 
of  which  splendid  pile  by  the  Danes 
the  story  opens.  The  retirement  of 
the  Saxon  prince  to  the  swine- 
herd's cottage,  his  reappearance  in 
the  field,  his  visit  to  the  Danish 
camp  in  disguise,  the  destruction  of 
the  Danish  tleet,  the  atrocities  of  the 
battles  which  folloed,  and  the  con- 


38 


HISTORY :— ENGLAKD. 


version  of  some  of  the  Danish  lead- 
ers, might  all  be  suspected  to  hav 
been  taken  from  the  repositories  of 
Mr.  Cottle's  poem.  Mr.  Atherstone 
deservs  at  least  the  praise  of  in- 
dustry. He  has,  to  some  extent, 
lifted  the  curtain  which  hangs  over 
the  manners  of  our  ancestors,  and 
has  succeeded  in  affording  what  we 
think  tolerably  correct  notions  of 
their  customs  in  peace  as  wel  as  in 
war.  The  Danish  encampments  ar 
also  spread  before  us  in  bold  and 
powerful  sketches,  and  the  whole 
tone  of  the  work  partakes  strongly 
of  the  agitated,  uncivilized,  and  law- 
less age  to  which  its  characters  be- 
long."   [Monthly  Review.  785 

THE  CHRONICLE  OF  ETHEL- 
FLED,  [by  A..  (Manning)  Rathboue 
(1807—):  Hall,  1861.]  "The  author 
has  selected  a  hero  whom  to  de- 
fame would  be  an  easy  but  thank- 
less task.  King  Alfred  [871-901] 
shines  throu  the  centuries  with  a 
light  which  no  historian  could  dim 
in  the  popular  estimation.  He  is 
to  us  the  impersonation  of  Saxon 
strength  and  wisdom.  Brave  as  Ar- 
thur, but  with  more  reality  about 
him;  bold  and  wise  as  the  first  Ed- 
ward, but  with  more  poetry  about 
him,  he  stands  as  the  typical  pat- 
tern of  what  an  English  king  should 
be.  '  The  Chronicle  of  Ethelfled  '  is 
very  slight,  and  light  and  pleasant 
to  read.  It  is  one  of  those  historical 
snatches  throu  which  runs  a  uarro 
vein  of  personal,  fictitious  narrativ 
which  gently  tickles  our  appetite  for 
knoledge,  and  yet  leaves  us  satis- 
fied to  accept  as  facts,  statements 
which  we  should  not  venture  to  re- 
peat without  further  inquiry.  We 
feel  that  we  hav  received  a  good 
general  idea  of  the  period  described, 
and  rest  content.  The  supposed 
writer  of  the  '  Chronicle  '  is  sister 
to  Alfred's  (jueen.  She  records,  in 
a  simple,  graphic  manner,  the  domes- 


tic life  of  the  times,  and  the  terror 
which  the  frequent  incursions  of  the 
Danes  produced  in  the  land."  [Lit. 
Gazette.  785k 

THE  DRAGON  AND  THE 
RAVEN  [by  G:  Alfred  Henty: 
Blackie,  1885]  "  is  a  wel  built  super- 
structure of  fiction  on  an  interest- 
ing substratum  of  fact.  The  in- 
vasions of  East  Anglia  and  Wessex 
by  the  Danes,  King  Alfred's  reverses 
and  triumphs,  the  battle  of  Ethan- 
dune,  the  siege  of  Paris  by  the 
Norsemen,  ar  all  treated  in  a  man- 
ner most  attractiv  to  the  boyish 
reader."    [Athenseum.  786 

HAROLD,  [by  Baron  Lytton  (1805- 
73):  Bentley,  1848.]  "Our  English  and 
Norman  ancestors  breathe  as  freely, 
and  move  with  as  little  wCnght  of 
history  on  their  bacs,  as  if  they  had 
livd  but  yesterday.  The  drier  histo- 
rical details  ar  for  the  most  part 
relieved  with  charming  effect  by  in- 
troduction of  the  graphic  style  of 
the  simpler  Saxon  chronicle.  And 
tho  the  romantic  interest  of  the 
book  accumulates  sloly,  it  is  always 
in  progress,  becomes  at  the  last  very 
strong  and  full,  and  servs  to  make 
more  vivid  the  impression  which, 
before  every  other,  would  seem  to 
hav  been  intended  by  the  novelist, 
of  the  actual  men  and  motivs  which 
governd  this  particular  period  of 
history.  The  fiction  creates  a 
healthy  appetite  for  fact,  the  relish 
to  ascertain  and  understand  yet 
more.  The  characters  most  elabo- 
rated ar  those  of  Harold  and  Ed- 
ward the  Confessor.  In  these,  the 
weakness  and  greatness  of  the 
Saxon,  we  may  read  why  it  was 
that  we  wer  conquered,  and  how 
it  was  that  we  imposed  our  institu- 
tions on  the  conqueror.  Harold  is 
as  finely  done  as  any  character  we 
can  remember  in  the  range  of  his- 
toric fiction.  Into  the  grand,  cold, 
stil  lines  of  history  is  breathed  the 


39 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


breath  of  life,  full,  hi-bearted, 
brave."  [Examiner.] — "  This  is  Bul- 
wer's  most  successful  attempt  at 
writing  an  historical  novel,  but 
with  all  its  merits,  it  is  stil  rather 
an  attempt  than  a  performance. 
Considerd  as  a  history  of  the  ISTor- 
man  invasion,  it  contains  many 
more  facts  than  can  be  found  in 
Thierry.  But  he  has  not  managed 
his  materials  in  an  imaginativ  way, 
and  fact  and  fiction  ar  tied  rather 
than  fused."  Graham's  Mag.  C7S6m 
WILLIAM  THE  CONQUEROR, 
[by  C:  Napier:  Routledge,  ISoS.] 
"  This  is  precisely  the  sort  of  ro- 
mance we  should  hav  expected  from 
a  Napier,  full  of  fierce  contests  and 
bold  encounters,  impetuous,  graphic, 
and  concise;  every  page  tels  of  a 
battle-field  or  feat  of  arms  of  hi 
emprise,  not  unmingled,  as  in  the 
deeds  of  ancient  chivalry,  with 
the  softening  infiuence  of  woman's 
love.  The  author  yields  to  the  in- 
fluence of  his  own  fiction  as  com- 
pletely as  if  the  work  wer  a  truthful 
military  chronicle,  so  eager  and  ear- 
nest is  his  style,  so  much  heart  has 
he  thrown  into  his  vivid  and  pic- 
turesque descriptions.  Sir  C:  Napier 
was  not,  however,  a  merely  impul- 
siv  writer:  he  was  wel  read  in  the 
history  of  the  period  he  had  chosen, 
and  made  good  use  of  his  reading; 
he  was  thoroly  familiar  with  his 
localities,  and  whether  his  scene 
wer  Saxon  or  Norman,  he  proved 
himself  equally  master  of  the  neces- 
sary details.  It  is  in  the  manner  of 
telling  this  story  that  the  chief 
merit  of  the  romance  lies."  [Exam- 
iner. C7S6p 
1066. 

WULF  THE  SAXON  [by  G:  Al- 
fred Henty:  Blackie,  1894]  "  is  a 
capital  story  of  the  unequal  conflict 
of  Harold  with  his  northern  and 
southern  foes.  Wulf,  a  youth  of 
Sussex,   a   glorified    Saxon   iu   some 


ways,  wins  his  way  to  honor  in  those 
stirring  times  by  a  display  of  cour- 
age and  endurance  which  wil  set 
boys  in  a  glo  as  they  read.  The 
description  of  the  fight  at  Stamford 
and  that  at  Hastings  [1066]  ar  in 
Mr.  Henty's  most  vigorous  style." 
[Saturday  Review.  787 

OLD  ENGLISH  HISTORY  FOR 
CHILDREN  [by  E:  A:  Freeman: 
Macmillan,  1869]  "  is  a  solid,  con- 
scientious and  entertaining  history 
of  England  to  the  Conquest.  It  is 
the  book  which  the  parent  of  a 
groing  child — say  of  12  or  upwards — 
can  hardly  excuse  himself  for  not 
purchasing;  and  it  is  as  fit  for  a 
Christmas  gift  as  a  book  of  tales. 
The  style,  iu  fact,  would  alone  rec- 
ommend it — English  history  told  in 
simple  and  colloquial  English,  which 
without  being  in  the  least  con- 
strained, is  almost  monosyllabic. 
.  .  .  The  steady,  chronological  march 
of  the  narrativ  is  relieved  here  and 
there  by  episodes  which  the  author 
wil  not  admit  to  be  history,  nor  yet 
omit  wholy,  because  a  grain  of 
truth  may  be  in  them.  These,  with 
warnings  duly  prefixed,  he  casts  in 
a  form  akin  to  the  Bible-English. 
He  givs  also  occasionally  a  ballad, 
and  in  other  ways  keeps  up  the 
young  reader's  interest  to  the  end. 
The  notes  ar  for  grown  people." 
[Nation.  788 

1070. 

HEREWARD,  the  Last  of  the 
English,  [by  C:  Kingsley:  Ticknor, 
1866.]  "  The  author  has  written 
nothing  better  than  this  recital  of 
the  adventures  of  Hereward,  son  of 
the  famous  Lady  Godiva  and  the 
'  grim  earl '  Leofric,  her  husband — 
who  as  a  boy,  under  Edward  the 
Confessor,  was  outlawed,  as  too 
hard  a  case  for  his  parents  to  man- 
age; who  took  service  with  foreign 
princes  and  turned  sea-rover  on  his 


40 


HISTORY :— ENGLAND. 


own  account;  who  was  the  last  of 
the  Berserkers  and  the  first  of  the 
knights-errant;  who  performed  un- 
paralleled feats  of  valor  and  cun- 
ning; who,  on  the  Duke  of  Norman- 
dy's invasion  of  England,  felt  him- 
self, in  spite  of  his  outlawry,  stil  an 
Englishman  at  heart,  sailed  over  to 
England,  and  collected  an  army  to 
contest  the  Norman's  rights;  who 
contested  them  long  and  bravely, 
but  at  last  found  the  invaders  too 
many  for  him  and  was  driven  for 
a  subsistence  to  the  greenwood, 
where  he  set  the  fashion  to  Robin 
Hood  and  the  dozen  other  ballad- 
heroes  whom  the  author  enumer- 
ates; who  under  his  reverses  grew 
cold  and  faithless  to  the  devoted 
wife  whom  he  had  married  out  of 
Flanders,  and  who  had  foUoed  his 
fortunes  over  land  and  sea;  who,  re- 
pudiating Torfrida,  thot  to  patch  up 
his  prospects  by  a  base  union  with 
a  Norman  princess,  for  whom  he 
had  cherished  an  earlier  but  an 
unworthy  passion,  and  by  a  tardy 
submission  to  the  new  king;  who  at 
last,  disappointed,  humiliated,  de- 
moralized by  idleness,  fell  a  victim, 
in  his  stalwart  prime,  to  the  jeal- 
ousy of  the  Norman  knights.  The 
hero,  as  the  reader  sees,  is  an  his- 
torical iigure,  duly  celebrated  in  the 
contemporary  and  other  chronicles, 
English  and  Norman.  How  many 
of  his  adventures  ar  fiction  does 
not  here  signify,  inasmuch  as  they 
wer  destind  to  become  fiction  in 
this  novel;  and,  as  the  elements  of 
a  novel  by  a  man  of  genius,  be- 
come animated  with  a  more  lively 
respectability  than  could  ever  ac- 
crue to  them  as  parcels  of  dubious 
history."  [Nation.]— For  the  earlier 
adventures  of  Hereward  see  "  Count 
Robert  of  Paris."  789 

THE  RIVAL  HEIRS  [by  Augus- 
tine D:  Crake:  N.  Y.,  Young.  1882] 
"  were  Saxon  and  Norman  in  the 
years  between  the  battle  of  Hastings 


and  the  return  from  the  first  cru- 
sade. It  is  a  tale  for  the  elders  in 
the  school-room,  and  for  the  purity 
and  smoothness  of  its  style  it  may 
be  commended  to  such  of  them  as 
can  stand  the  horror  of  the  deeds 
of  a  brutal  time.  The  bare  outUnes 
which  the  chronicles  furnish  hav 
been  filled  in  with  details  almost  too 
real,  some  of  them,  in  their  cruelty. 
The  author  folloes  scrupulously  the 
lead  of  such  writers  as  Freeman." 
[Nation.  790 

1154-89. 

THE  BETROTHED,  [by  Walter 
Scott,  1825.]  "  The  events  ar  sup- 
posed to  hav  happend  on  the  borders 
of  Wales.  Gwenwyn,  a  Welsh 
prince,  asks  the  hand  of  Eveline, 
dauter  of  Raymond  Berenger,  the 
Norman  castellane  of  a  fortress  in 
his  neborhood,  and,  of  course,  a  for- 
midable enemy  to  his  name  and  na- 
tion. Raymond  refuses,  and  Gwen- 
wyn advances  to  the  attac  of  the  for- 
tress at  such  short  warning  that  the 
Norman  has  not  time  to  receive  the 
help  of  the  neboring  barons.  This 
would  hav  been  a  matter  of  little 
consequence  to  Raymond,  and  the 
Welsh  might  hav  knocked  their 
heads  against  the  walls  to  as  little 
purpos  as  they  had  often  done  be- 
fore, but  for  an  unfortunate  promis, 
which,  during  the  short  preceding 
interval  of  tranquillity,  he  had  made 
to  Gwenwyn,  to  meet  him  on  any 
future  occasion  in  fair  fight  and 
without  the  protection  of  ditches 
and  engins.  The  chivalrous  notions 
of  the  times  compelled  him  to  march 
out  with  a  part  of  his  slender  garri- 
son to  certain  destruction,  leaving 
the  castle  and  his  dauter  to  the  pro- 
tection of  a  small  band  of  Flemish 
feudatories.  The  knight  is,  of 
course,  slain,  and  the  victorious 
Gwenwyn  attacs  the  castle,  which, 
after  being  defended  a  single  day 
with  difiiculty,  is  relieved  by  the  ad- 


41 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUXG. 


vance  of  Hugo  de  Lacy,  by  whom 
the  Welsh  prince  is  slain  and  his 
foUoers  cut  to  pieces.  In  return  for 
this  service,  and  in  consequence  of 
certain  previous  arrangements  with 
her  father,  he  seeks  the  hand  of 
Eveline,  and  after  a  reasonable  time 
is  solemnly  affianced  to  her.  This 
conduct  excites  the  indignation  of 
Baldwin,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
by  whose  preaching  the  Constable 
had  lately  been  induced  to  assume 
the  ensigns  of  a  Crusader.  He  in- 
sists on  the  immediate  performance 
of  his  vow,  and  De  Lacy  is  obliged 
to  leave  his  betrothed  under  the  care 
of  his  nephew  Damian.  The  results 
of  this  arrangement  every  reader  wil 
anticipate.  The  Constable,  on  his 
return,  finds  his  affairs  at  home  on 
the  point  of  utter  ruin,  and  Damian 
charged  with  breach  of  trust  to  him 
and  Iris  sovran.  Tho  these  charges 
prove  to  be  in  the  main  false,  De 
Lacy  is  wise  enuf  to  perceive  that 
Eveline  wil  be  a  more  suitable  bride 
for  his  nephew,  and  the  work  closes 
with  their  marriage."  [U.  S.  Lit. 
Gazette.  791 

THE  TALISMAN  [by  Walter 
Scott,  1825]  "  forms  a  link  between 
'  The  Betrothed  '  and  Ivanhoe.  In 
'  The  Betrothed,'  Richard  Coeur  de 
Lion  appears  for  a  few  moments  as 
the  heir-apparent  to  the  throne. 
The  reader  of  '  The  Talisman  '  finds 
him  in  Palestine,  having  left  his 
kingdom,  not  long  after  his  acces- 
sion to  its  throne,  to  the  miseries 
and  distractions  described  in  Ivan- 
hoe. The  story  is  principally  occu- 
pied with  the  sicness  of  Richard  and 
his  contests  with  his  fello  crusaders 
of  Austria  and  France.  An  import- 
ant character  is  the  Prince  Royal  of 
Scotland,  who  servs  incognito  in  the 
English  army  and  finally  marries  the 
sister  of  the  English  king.  Saladin 
appears  in  various  disguises,  not  al- 
ways probable  or  consistent,  in  one 
of  which  he  cures  Richard  with  a 


talisman.  The  author  enters  into 
the  character  of  Richard  with  spirit, 
and  it  occupies  a  large  part  of  the 
work.  .  .  The  curious  in  these  mat- 
ters wil  probably  be  interested  in 
the  comparison  between  this  Talis- 
man and  the  Saracen  of  Mrs.  Cottin, 
a  crusade  romance  of  great  reputa- 
tion in  its  day.  The  time,  the  place 
and  the  principal  characters  ar  the 
same.  It  is  evident  that  the  writers 
hav  drawn  in  many  instances  from 
the  same  sources."  [U.  S.  Lit.  Ga- 
zette. 792 
IVANHOE.  [1820;  condensed.  Holt, 
1876.]  "  If  it  be  true,  as  Mr.  John- 
son says,  that  he  '  has  found  people, 
neither  few  in  number  nor  contemp- 
tible in  culture,'  who  wer  prevented 
from  reading  Scott's  novels  '  by  the 
tedious  process  required  to  reach  the 
heart  of  the  story,'  we  can  only  say 
that  thej'  ar  much  to  be  pitied,  and 
that  we  fear  their  case  is  beyond 
even  the  administration  of  them  in 
the  most  homoeopathic  doses.  They 
either  hav  the  taste  to  enjoy  works 
of  the  order  of  the  best  of  Scott's 
novels — for  we  allow  there  is  a  dif- 
ference among  them— or  thgy  hav 
not.  If  they  hav  it,  they  wil 
never  be  content  with  any  dilution 
or  diminution  of  their  bulk  as  they 
came  fresh  and  free  from  the  en- 
chanter's brain.  There  is  a  charm 
in  the  very  careless  profusion  with 
which  Scott  pours  forth  his  words 
which  no  lover  of  his  immortal  sto- 
ries would  willingly  forego.  We  ar 
glad  to  affirm  that  within  the  range 
of  our  acquaintance  the  magic  of 
Scott's  genius  stil  holds  good  its 
spels  for  young  and  old.  The  num- 
ber of  readers  has  so  enormously 
increased  since  Scott's  time  that  the 
proportion  of  his  votaries  may  be 
less  than  when  he  alone  swayed  the 
imagination.  But  we  do  not  doubt 
that  the  absolute  number  of  his 
readers  is  as  great  as  ever.  His 
books  ar  stil  the  staf  of  intellectual 


42 


HISTORY:— ENGLAND. 


life  on  which  intelligent  parents 
nourish  the  minds  of  their  children, 
and  we  believe  there  ar  very  few 
of  those  who  seek  to  escape  from 
the  toils  and  troubles  of  life  into  the 
fields  of  imagination  who  do  not 
oftenest  take  him  for  their  guide 
and  interpreter."  [Nation.  793.— 
"  Hav  you  read  '  Ivanhoe  '?  Do  you 
like  it?  What  a  silly  question!  What 
two  silly  questions!  You  must  hav 
read,  and  you  must  hav  liked,  that 
most  gorgeous  and  magnificent  tale 
of  chivalry.  I  kno  nothing  so  rich, 
so  splendid,  so  profuse,  so  like  old 
painted  glass,  or  a  gothic  chapel  full 
of  shrines,  and  banners,  and 
knightly  monuments.  The  soul,  too, 
which  is  sometimes  wanting,  is  there 
in  its  full  glory  of  passion  and  ten- 
derness. .  .  .  But  there  is  no  finding 
fault  with  a  book  which  puts  one 
so  much  in  mind  of  Froissart.  '  Ivan- 
hoe '  is  more  like  him  than  any 
thing  that  has  been  written  these 
three  centuries."  [M..  R.  Mitford, 
1820.  794 

THE  MERRY  ADVENTURES 
OF  ROBIN  HOOD,  [by  Howard 
Pyle:  Scribner,  1883.]  "  The  narra- 
tiv  is  thoroly  pleasant,  often  pictur- 
esque, and  it  will  infallibly  interest." 
[Nation.  795 

THE  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES 
OF  ROBIN  HOOD,  [by  J.  B.  Marsh: 
Routledge,  1889.]  "  Every  Christ- 
mas endows  Robin  Hood  with  a  new 
lease  of  life,  and  shos  how  fresh  and 
living  must  be  the  springs  from 
which  gushes  this  ever-delightful 
romance.  Castaly  itself  could 
hardly  be  more  perpetual,  more  ex- 
haustless.  Robin  Hood  and  Maid 
Marian,  Friar  Tuck  and  Little  John 
ar  figures  which  hav  entranced  the 
childhood  of  the  English  nation 
during  all  the  centuries  from  1193 
to  1889,  and  that  entrance  English 
children  stil.  The  old  English  ballad- 
books  bubble  over  with  them;  their 
green   jerkins   flash   throu    the   by- 


ways and  hiways  of  early  England; 
their  pranks  and  capers  giv  fun  to 
many  a  poem,  and  their  cross-bos 
and  arros  kindle  our  youthful 
dreams  stil  with  fond  and  emulous 
enthusiasm.  What  forest  is  like 
Sherwood  Forest,  for  thrilling  ad- 
venture and  haunted  glades  and 
raity  oaks  and  whizzing  deer? 
What  friar  was  ever  so  fat  and 
funny  and  lovable  as  Friar  Tuck, 
who  steals  wine  for  Robin  from 
the  monastery  cellars,  and  is  one 
day  found  dead  '  under  the  green- 
wood tree '  ?  What  maid  is  half  as 
pretty  as  Maid  Marian,  who  sick- 
ened and  died  of  the  court-life  of 
stately  London,  and  whose  death 
broke  Robin's  heart?  And  wh§re 
did  ever  such  charming  abbesses 
and  bold  cavaliers  and  splendid 
hounds  and  brillant  huntsmen  liv, 
as  in  this  gay  and  deathless  ro- 
mance? "    [Critic.  796 

THE  BOY  FORESTERS  [by  A.. 
Bowman  (f,  1886):  Routledge,  1868] 
"  attempts  to  reproduce,  and  does 
it  with  some  surface  fidelity,  the 
life  of  the  men  whom  harsh  forest 
laws  of  Norman  England  and  the 
oppression  of  the  lords-of-the-manor 
drove  into  exile  in  the  greenwood. 
The  story  is  interesting,  and  the  sen- 
timents of  the  outlaws  wil  be  found 
to  be  in  the  main  hily  creditable 
to  their  religious,  moral  and  polit- 
ical training.  That  children  would 
get  amusement  from  it  as  cer- 
tain as  that  their  fathers  would  get 
amusement  from  '  Ivanhoe,'  and  the 
amusement  would  not  be  of  a  much 
different  kind,  nor,  making  due  al- 
lowance for  the  discrepancy  of  age, 
would  it  be  at  all  different,  we  sup- 
pose, in  degree."    [Nation.  797 

THE  FOREST  OUTLAWS,  [by 
E.  Gilliat:  Seeley,— Putnam,  1886.] 
"  The  principal  historical  characters 
ar  Henry  II.  and  Hugh,  Bishop  of 
Lincoln.  The  character  of  this  fa- 
mous    prelate,     whose     undoubted 


43 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOtTXG. 


sanctity  was  tempered  by  a  certain 
shrewd  worldliness,  is  wel  deline- 
ated, as  is  also  life  at  the  great 
monastery  of  St.  Albans  and  in  the 
cities  of  London  and  Lincoln;  but 
far  less  is  told  of  Robin  Hood  and 
his  band  than  we  could  hav  wished. 
The  author  has  been  at  great  pains 
to  imitate  the  forms  of  speech  of 
that  period,  and  in  some  cases  has 
put  into  the  mouths  of  his  charac- 
ters their  words  taken  from  their 
writings  or  contemporaneous  rec- 
ords. In  this  way  he  has  made  a 
very  faithful  picture,  but  at  the 
same  time  has  lessened  the  interest 
of  his  excellent  story  by  being  often 
unintelligible."    [Nation.  798 

1216-72. 

JOHN  O'  LONDON  [by  Somer- 
ville  Gibney:  Ward,  1887]  "deals 
with  the  sufferings  of  the  Jews,  the 
rapacity  of  the  barons,  and  the  as- 
cendancy of  the  resolute  bishop  of 
Lincoln,  Grostete.  The  bishop  is 
presented  with  considerable  power, 
and  the  church  history  of  the  period 
is  cleverly  treated  without  at  all 
proving  burdensom  to  the  interest  of 
a  charming  story  of  love  and  ad- 
venture."   [Saturday  Review.        799 

1262. 

THE  THIRSTY  SWORD  [by  Ro. 

Leighton:  Blackie,  1892]  "  is  a  story 
of  Norse  pretensions  to  rule  Scot- 
land, and  of  the  invasion  of  Norse- 
men, under  Hakon,  of  the  Western 
Isles.  It  is  a  striking  narrativ  of 
the  strife  between  Norse  and  Scot, 
and  the  feud  between  Alpin  of  Bute 
and  his  uncle  MacAlpin,  the  assas- 
sin of  his  father."  [Saturday  Re- 
view. 799k 
HOW  I  WON  MY  SPURS,  [by 
J:  G:  Edgar:  Beeton,  1863.]  "He 
sees  in  the  Barons'  War  [1262-65] 
an  ancient  monarchy  opposed  in 
noble  desires  by  a  selfish  aristocracy 


and  an  ignorant  democracy;  but  it 
does  not  greatly  matter,  perhaps, 
how  he  reads  history;  there  ar  bat- 
tles and  adventures,  and  the  book 
is  interspersed  with  very  good 
woodcuts  of  knights  in  conflict,  and 
of  castles  and  other  places  men- 
tioned in  the  story."    [Exam.        800 

1272-07. 

PRENTICE  HUGH  [by  F..  M.. 
Peard:  National  Society,  1887]  "  is 
a  capital  story  of  life  in  the  Fen 
Country,  and  then  among  the  carv- 
ers at  Exeter.  Miss  Peard  has  told 
her  tale  clearly  and  wel,  and  has 
studied  carefully  in  the  contempor- 
ary chronicles,  tho  she  does  not 
force  medisevalisms  upon  us.  The 
'prentice  boy  after  many  adventures 
is  allowed  to  assist  in  the  carving 
of  the  cathedral  choir,  just  then 
rising  into  beauty.  Perhaps  his 
casual  meetings  with  Edward  I.  ar 
too  frequent,  even  for  a  hero,  but 
the  boy  is  naturally  described,  and 
his  monkey,  an  object  of  repulsion 
to  the  grown  people,  and  an  un- 
ceasing joy  to  the  children,  lends 
a  new  attraction  to  the  tale."  [Sat- 
urday Review.  801 

THE  SCOTTISH  CHIEFS,  [by 
J..  Porter:  1810;  rep.,  McClurg,  1892.] 
"  We  ar  glad  to  see  so  attractiv  an 
edition  of  this  romance.  To  be 
sure,  its  hily  , colored  sentiment  is 
as  old-fashioned  as  wil  be  most  of 
the  iutrospectiv,  analytic  fiction  pf 
to-day  80  years  hence,  and  its 
rather  Grandisonian  hero  is  far 
away— centuries  away— from  the 
real  Wallace;  but  the  story  has  suf- 
ficient vigor  and  movement  and  enuf 
real  feeling  to  make  it  stil  a  favorit 
with  bright  boys  and  girls,— that  is, 
if  they  ar  not  already  familiar  with 
their  Scott,  for  then  they  ar  apt  to 
find  Miss  Porter's  thrilling  tale  but 
'prentice   work."    [Atlantic.  802 

LIFE  OF  SIR  W:  WALLACE 
[Glasgow,  1859]  "  is  a  popular  nar- 


44 


HISTORY:— ENGLAND. 


rativ,  comprising  iu  the  true  spirit 
of  hero-worship  all  the  events  in 
the  life  of  the  great  Scottish  pat- 
riot [f,  1305].  It  is  a  book  in  which 
boys  wil  and  men  may  take  de- 
light, for  it  is  full  of  action  and 
adventure.  Appended  to  it  is  a  list 
of  works  illustrativ  of  the  Life  and 
Acts  of  Wallace,  from  Henry  the 
Minstrel's  Poem  down  to  this  very 
readable  compilation."  [Literary 
Gazette.  803 

THE  DAYS  OF  BRUCE  [by  G.. 
Aguilar:  1852]  "  takes  up  the  his- 
tory of  the  Scottish  Chiefs,  just 
where  J..  Porter  finished  hers,— 
with  the  death  of  Wallace.  Bruce, 
sore  and  stricken  in  conscience,  de- 
serted the  banner  of  Edward,  and 
placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
adherents  of  the  great  Scottish 
patriot.  This  tale  shos  the  progress 
of  his  fortunes,  throu  adversity, 
frequent  defeat,  much  suffering  and 
sorro,  to  the  triumphant  moment 
when  he  could  wear  the  Scottish 
crown  and  wield  the  Scottish  scep- 
tre, in  complete  defiance  of  the 
rival  and  hostil  power.  Certain  in- 
teresting love  histories  ar  inter- 
woven with  the  historical  material, 
very  much  in  the  vein  of  Miss 
Porter;  but  it  wil  be  no  wrong  to 
the  talent  of  Miss  Aguilar  to  say 
that  the  peculiar  charm  of  her 
predecessor,  which  made  her  so  pre- 
cious to  young  hearts,  is  stil  unri- 
valed."   [Southern    Review.  804 

1327. 

THE  ABBOT'S  BRIDGE  [by  F.. 
M..  Peard:  Whittaker,  1891]  "  is  a 
vigorously-told  tale  of  the  time 
when  England  was  involvd  in  ec- 
clesiastical disputes,  and  the  Church, 
gross,  rich  and  powerful,  was  being 
undermined  in  its  influence  among 
the  poor  by  the  purer  order  of 
Francescan;  Friars."    [Critic.         805 

THE  LANCES  OF  LYNWOOD 
[by    C.    M..    Y^onge:    Parker,    1855] 


"  is  a  pleasant  volume  with  the 
flavor  of  Froissart  about  it,  a  ro- 
mance of  the  days  of  the  Black 
Prince   (1330-76)."    [Examiner.     806 

1381. 

ALICE    OF    FOBBING.    [Parker, 

I860.]  "  The  scenes  which  accom- 
panied the  insurrection  of  Wat 
Tyler,  the  terrible  state  of  the  coun- 
try, the  tyranny  of  the  nobles,  and 
the  bitter  resentment  of  the  serfs, 
ar  wel  described,  and  the  writer 
seems  wel  acquainted  with  the  man- 
ners and  customs  of  those  early 
times."    [Lit.   Gazette.  807 

JOHN  STANDISH  [by  E:  Gilliat: 
Seeley,  1888]  "  is  a  more  than  us- 
ually successful  attempt  at  histor- 
ical fiction.  It  deals  with  the  re- 
bellion of  Wat  Tyler,  and  as  the 
author  thinks  it  '  more  important  to 
reproduce  the  words  and  thots  of 
the  past  than  to  rely  for  a  faithful 
picture  on  inventories  of  clothes  and 
furniture,'  he  has  made  what  seems 
a  fairly  successful  illustration  of 
the  times.  The  notes  ar  too  numer- 
ous for  adult  readers,  but  excellent 
for  children."    [Athenaeum.  808 

THE  BOYS'  FROISSART.  See 
later  under  France. 

THE  KNIGHTS  OP  ENGLAND, 
FRANCE  AND  GERMANY,  [by 
H:  W:  Herbert  (1807-58):  Redfield, 
1852.]  "The  Saxon  and  the  Nor- 
man knights  occupy  7  narrativs; 
three  ar  given  to  the  Crusaders 
[1096-1241];  as  many  to  illustrations 
of  feudal  history;  while  the  Scottish 
legends  extend  to  10.  These  all  af- 
ford great  variety  of  material  and 
characterization.  Mr.  Herbert  is  of 
the  proper  temper  to  illustrate  the 
deeds  of  chivalry.  His  style  and 
manner  ar  of  that  stately  class 
which  seem  properly  suited  to  the 
era  of  the  bold  barons,  who  '  drank 
the  red  wine  throu  the  helmet 
barred,'  who  wer  proud  and  daring, 
insolent    and    licentious,     but    who 


45 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


could  Strangely  mingle  love  and  hu- 
mility with  the  wildest  deeds  of 
ambition  and  of  audacious  courage." 
[Southern   Review.  809 

1390. 
JACK  OF  THE  MILL,  [by  W: 
Howitt:  Routledge,  1871.]  "  We  can 
not  number  the  years  since  our  first 
i-eading  of  this  booli,  but  it  was 
long  ago,  and  we  ar  glad  to  see  the 
story  revived,  finding  our  pleasant 
recollections  of  it  confirmed  on  re- 
perusal.  It  is  a  semi-historical 
novel,  relating  to  the  persecutions 
of  the  Lollards  and  the  wars  of  the 
Hussites,  under  Ziska  [1360-1424], 
and  inculcating  religious  freedom 
also  by  examples  of  Jewish  fidelity 
and  humanity.  The  portraiture  of 
England  in  those  days,  both  in  its 
scenery  and  in  its  social  and  polit- 
ical condition,  is  calculated  to  leave 
truthful  and  lasting  impressions, 
while  the  romantic  adventures  of 
the  hero  ar,  if  our  experience  is  a 
test,  sure  to  be  vividly  remembered 
beyond  the  age  of  childhood."  [Na- 
tion. C809m 
MEN  OF  IRON  [by  Howard 
Pyle:  Harper,  1892]  "  is  a  story  of 
the  fortunes  of  a  young  Englishman 
who  is  attached  to  the  household  of 
a  powerful  nobleman  during  the 
reign  of  Henry  IV.  (1399-1413). 
Young  Myles  Falworth  is  of  the  stuf 
of  which  heroes  wer  made  in  those 
bracing  times.  Wonderful  and  rapid 
Is  his  rise  to  knightly  distinction. 
But  the  author  has  plausibly  pre- 
pared the  way  for  the  advancement 
of  his  hero,  and  has  designed  a  pic- 
turesque setting  for  a  stirring  story. 
The  training  of  young  Falworth,  the 
sports  and  brawls  of  his  comrades, 
together  with  some  stout  fiting.  ar 
described  with  excellent  spirit.  In- 
deed, with  arms  and  armor,  fencing 
and  tilting,  the  author  deals  in  gen- 
erous fashion,  and  not  ih  a  dry  an- 
tiquarian style."    [Sat.  Review.  810 


BELT  AND  SPUR  [London,  1882] 
"  is  a  collection  of  stories  of  chiv- 
alry. It  begins  with  Wace's  ac- 
count of  '  how  Duke  William  and 
his  knights  landed  in  England,'  and 
ends  with  *  the  act  of  arms  between 
the  Lord  Scales  and  the  Bastard  of 
Burgundy  '  in  1467.  The  stories  ar 
17  in  number,  of  great  variety,  both 
in  character  and  in  style  of  narra- 
tion, being  taken  from  a  great  num- 
ber of  chronicles.  Most  of  them  ar 
genuin  history,  the  least  historical 
being  a  most  entertaining  account 
of  the  exploits  of  the  outlaw  Fulk 
Fitzwarine,  in  the  reign  of  King 
John.  Of  especial  interest  is  the 
account  of  ' the  last  deeds  of  Sir 
Harry  Hotspur  '—giving  many  de- 
tails which  the  reader  of  Shaks- 
pere  recognizes."    [Nation.  811 

HISTORICAL  SELECTIONS,  [se- 
lected by  E..  M.  Sewell  and  C.  M.. 
Yonge:  Macmillau,  1868.]  "  The  ob- 
ject of  the  compilers  was  to  enlarge 
the  sphere  of  historical  knoledge, 
as  presented  to  the  young  in  out- 
lines and  abridgments,  '  by  contin- 
uous and  chronological  selections, 
taken,  as  much  as  was  practicable, 
from  the  larger  works,  which  it  is 
next  to  impossible  for  young  people 
to  read  at  school,  and  which  many 
may  never  hav  the  time  and  opportu- 
nity to  read  in  after-life.'  And  in 
making  the  selections  they  wer  guid- 
ed by  the  idea  of  imprinting  upon 
the  memory  and  imagination  of  their 
readers  '  certain  definit  terms  and 
distinct  biographies  ...  as  land- 
marks, round  which  other  less  im- 
portant incidents  may  be  grouped,' 
as  wel  as  by  the  desire  of  present- 
ing specimens  of  good  and  attractiv 
English  composition.  As  regards 
the  latter  object,  the  compilation 
may  be  said  to  be  very  wel  exe- 
cuted. The  selections— from  Free- 
man's '  Norman  Conquest,'  Roscoe's 
'  Kings  of  England,'  Lingard's  '  Eng- 
land,'   Pearson's    '  England    during 


46 


HISTORY :— ENGLAND. 


the  Early  and  Middle  Ages,'  Hook's 
'  Archbishops  of  Canterbury,'  Pal- 
grave's  '  History  of  Normandy,' 
Knight's  '  Normans  in  Sicily,'  Steph- 
en's '  Essays  on  Ecclesiastical  Biog- 
raphy,' Milman's  '  Latin  Christian- 
ity,' James'  '  Richard  Coeiir  de  Lion,' 
Hume's  '  England,'  T.  C.  Robertson's 
'  Becket,'  Morrison's  '  Saint  Ber- 
nard,' Lord  Campbell's  '  Lives  of 
the  Chancellors,'  Gibbon's  '  Roman 
Empire,'  Creasy's  '  English  Consti- 
tution,' and  a  few  other  books— ar 
not  only  historically  instructiv  but, 
almost  all,  pleasant  and  attractiv 
reading— made  the  pleasanter  by 
the  omission  of  cumbersom  details 
and  passages,  and  more  intelligible 
by  a  number  of  introductory 
sketches,  destind  to  fil  gaps  or  to 
serv  as  connecting  links.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  mere  titles  of  the 
books  from  which  extracts  ar  taken 
ar  sufficient  to  sho  how  limited  the 
range  of  this  so-called  '  European 
History  '  is ;  in  fact— which  a  closer 
examination  fully  proves— it  is  al- 
most restricted  to  the  history  of 
England."    [Nation.  812 

140G-37. 

THE    CAGED   LION   [by   C.   M.. 

Yonge:  Macmillan,  1870]  "  is  writ- 
ten in  exceptionally  good  English, 
and  the  historical  characters  ar  ac- 
curately drawn.  But  all  is  cold, 
lifeless,  and  unreal.  The  story  seems 
to  gro  duller  and  duller  as  we  pro- 
ceed with  it.  The  characters  do  not 
project  from  the  canvas  like  the 
figures  of  the  wizards  who  hav 
brot  the  past  bodily  before  our  eyes, 
and  hav  spoilt  us  for  mediocre  at- 
tempts. We  do  not  hear  the 
cracked  old  bels  clanging  from  the 
steeples,  or  see  the  quaint  gable- 
ended  houses  of  the  period,  or  the 
processions  of  mailed  knights  fa- 
mous in  many  a  joust  and  tourna- 
ment. We  only  gaze  on  certain  fig- 
ures   who    seem    to    walk    wearily 


across  the  stage,  and  to  exclaim  in 
solemn  accents,  '  I  am  Henry  V.,'  or, 
'  I  am  John,  Duke  of  Bedford.'  The 
traditionary  Richard  Whittington 
thrice  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  and 
his  remarkable  cat,  are  effectively 
introduced."    [Examiner.  813 

FOR  AND  AGAINST;  or  Queen 
Margaret's  Badge  [by  F..  M.  Wil- 
braham:  Parker,  1858]  "  is  a  ro- 
mance of  Warwick  the  King-maker 
[1420-71],  and  abounds  in  incidents 
of  the  kind  proper  to  old  romances 
of  the  modern  school,  duly  begin- 
ning with  three  horsemen  who 
might  be  seen  riding  over  a  hill. 
But  it  is,  at  the  same  time,  wel 
enuf  studied  to  afford  both  enter- 
tainment and  instruction."  [Exam- 
iner. 814 

1455-85. 

THE    BLACK   ARROW,    [by   Ro. 

L:  Stevenson:  Scribner,  1888.]  "  The 
personal  exploits  of  the  hero  hav  the 
national  struggle  for  bacground. 
Dick  fights  and  loves,  and  also  runs 
away  in  manly  fashion.  He  is  the 
eternal  boy,  with  nothing  mediaeval 
about  him,  except  his  doublet  and 
hose.  There  is  a  certain  monotony 
of  hacking  and  killing  in  his  career 
which,  in  the  mature  mind,  begets 
a  listlessness  as  to  its  catastrophe. 
Few  ar  the  men  and  women  who  re- 
tain that  youthful  joy  in  deeds  of 
physical  daring  which  the  author  ap- 
pears to  carry  with  him  from  the 
shooting  of  the  first  blac  arro  to  the 
last.  The  narrativ  is  all  alive.  Dick 
is  always  up  and  doing,  always  too 
busy  for  dul  thinking,  or  for  making 
critical  observations  on  the  radiance 
of  the  sun  by  day  or  the  shine  of 
the  stars  by  night.  His  physical 
bravei-y  is  no  greater  than  his  moral 
courage,  which  he  proves  gallantly 
when  his  royal  namesake,  Richard 
of  Gloucester  [1452-85],  qualifies  a 
granted  favor  with— '  By  the  glory 
of  Heaven,  there  your  favor  dies.' 


47 


BOOKS   FOR   THE    YOUNG. 


'  Mine  be  the  loss,'  says  Dick,  and 
turns  his  bac  upon  the  glittering 
future  so  recently  opening  before 
him."    [Nation.  815 

GRISLY  GRISELL  [by  C  M.. 
Yonge:  Macmillan,  1893]  "  is  the  nic- 
name  given  to  a  poor  little  damsel 
whose  face  had  been  marred  by  an 
explosion.  Grisly  Grisell  was  a 
faithful  namesalie  of  Chaucer's  meek 
heroin,  and  bore  rebuffs  and  hard 
names  with  a  noble  spirit  of  for- 
bearance, studying  only  how  she 
might  make  her  presence  endurable 
to  those  about  her.  To  this  end  she 
threw  her  energies  into  learning  the 
nature  of  herbs  and  potions,  and  the 
wise  counsel  she  was  obliged  to  giv 
herself  under  suffering  taut  her 
courage,  judgment  and  sagacity.  The 
time  came  when  she  made  herself 
not  only  useful  to,  but  beloved  by,  all 
about  her,  and  won  the  confidence 
of  those  hi  in  authority  at  Court, 
and  the  affectionate  devotion  of  her 
husband,  who  liad  been  .ioined  to  her 
under  compulsion  and  loathing." 
[Critic.  816 

1471. 

THE     CHANTRY    PRIEST,     [by 

Alfred  J:  Church:  Seeley,  1884.] 
"  The  author  has  deviated  a  little 
from  history,  but  givs  what  seems 
to  be  a  faithful  picture  of  manners 
in  the  15th  century.  He  oes  a  good 
deal  to  the  Paston  Letters.  Grant- 
ing that  young  people  can  learn  his- 
tory by  reading  historical  stories, 
this  is  likely  to  be  a  very  useful 
book,  as  it  certainly  is  very  interest- 
ing. There  should  be  some  mention 
of  the  manuscripts  from  which  the 
splendid  colored  plates  ar  copied. 
The  hero  narrates  the  story  of  his 
own  life,  and  tels  us  of  Caxton,  of 
the  schoolmaster-printer  of  St.  Al- 
bans, and  of  the  battles  of  Barnet 
[1471]  and  Flodden."  [Saturday  Re- 
view. 817 


1487. 

A  KING  PLAY  [by  J.  E.  Free- 
man: Freeman,  1863]  "  recorded  the 
romantic  history  of  Lambert  Simuel, 
his  loly  birth,  his  sudden  rise  to  ap- 
parent power  with  all  its  brilliant 
concomitants,  his  conduct  in  bat- 
tle, his  defeat,  his  degradation  to  the 
office  of  scullion  to  Henry  VII.,  and 
his  subsequent  advance  to  the  more 
exalted  post  of  falconer.  His  life 
and  adventures  ar  wel  calculated  to 
attract  the  attention  and  interest  of 
children;  and  Mrs.  Freeman's  simple 
style  is  wel  adapted  to  impress  the 
picture  of  the  times."      [Parthenon. 

818 
1488. 

THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  WIGHT 
[by  Frank  Cowper:  N.  Y.,  Young, 
1888]  "  is  a  romance  of  Carisbrooke 
Castle  in  1488,  and  the  author  has 
made  industrious  efforts  to  render 
the  book  a  faithful  record  of  the 
martial,  domestic  and  social  life  of 
the  time."    [Critic.  819 

1499. 

PERKIN  WARBECK  [by  M..  W. 

(Godwin)  Shelley:  1834]  "  is  strictly 
historical,  embracing  a  period  fruit- 
ful of  associations  of  the  most 
romantic  character.  The  author  had 
abundant  materials  for  an  efCectiv 
narrativ.  That  he  used  them  to  the 
very  best  advantage  it  would  be 
hazardous  to  say.  We  can  imagin 
that  in  the  hands  of  Scott,  scenes 
more  impressiv,  delineations  more 
graphic,  and  characters  more  strik- 
ing might  hav  been  produced.  But 
the  work  is  far  from  being  deficient 
in  these  particulars.  For  easy  flo  of 
diction,  and  that  simplicity  of  phrase 
so  wel  suited  to  narrativ,  it  is  to  be 
preferred  to  the  shoy  grandiloquence 
of  '  The  Last  Days  of  Pompeii,'  and 
wil  please  more  of  that  numerous 
class  of  readers  who  seek  for  en- 
tertainment in  the  relation  of  im- 


48 


HISTORY  {—ENGLAND. 


portant  and  hazardous  adventures 
and  heroic  achievements,  rather  than 
in  elaborated  sentiment,  or  in  the 
exhibition  of  overcharged  passion 
or  extravagant  actions."  [American 
Quarterly.  820 

1561-72. 

MAGDALEN  HEPBURN  [by  Ma. 
Oliphant  (Wilson)  Oliphant:  Hurst, 
1854]  "  is  a  story  of  the  Reformation, 
with  J:  Knox  [1505-72]  prominently 
introduced  among  the  dramatis 
personte,  and  with  storms  and 
sieges  among  the  incidents.  Magda- 
len is  true  love  to  a  cousin  Paul, 
becomes  an  orphan  and  a  Royal 
ward  under  the  regency  of  the  Earl 
of  Arran  [t,  1575],  refuses  to  be  of- 
ficially provided  with  a  husband, 
and  finds  refuge  under  the  same 
roof  with  Knox,  whose  friend  her 
Paul  is,  and  whose  companion  he 
had  been.  "We  confess  that  we  like 
the  author  better  when  she  deals 
with  the  world  as  it  is.  Few  hav  a 
clearer  or  more  genial  insight  into 
its  home  mysteries.  We  enjoy  heart- 
ily always  the  Scottish  flavor  of  her 
books,  but  we  do  not  so  wel  like  to 
taste  in  addition  the  savor  of  conven- 
tional dialog  established  to  be  read 
in  romances  of  the  16th  century.  This 
we  wil  say,  but  we  desire  to  say  it 
lightly,  for  the  book  is  thoroly  enjoy- 
able, pleasant  women  move  to  and 
fro  in  it,  characters  ar  wel  discrimi- 
nated (we  hav  a  charming  Scotch 
girl,  Jean,  and  another  less  charm- 
ing, Alice,  but  both  excellent  foils 
to  the  heroin),  and  there  is  a  sense 
everywhere  of  the  right  and  good, 
as  wel  as  of  the  picturesque."  [Ex- 
aminer. 821 
1567-68. 

THE  ABBOT,  by  Walter  Scott: 
1820.  C821S 

As  collateral  reading:— 
MARY  STUART,  [by  Alphonse  de 
Lamartine:      Edin.,      Black,      1859.] 


"  Weak,  sentimental,  luscious,  ideal- 
izing Lamartine  could  not  hav  had 
a  better  subject  for  his  pen  than 
that  beautiful  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots, 
the  loved,  the  persecuted,  the  fasci- 
nating, and  the  frail.  We  might 
hav  expected  the  most  romantic 
poem-history  from  him;  full  of  rhe- 
torical flights  and  bewildering  in 
its  typographical  redundances;  a 
poem-history  made  of  conjectures 
and  psychology,  with  a  poet's  lofty 
disregard  of  matters  of  fact.  But 
Lamartine  has  been  sober  where  we 
expected  more  than  his  usual  intoxi- 
cation, and  has  stood  quietly  on  the 
earth  when  we  looked  for  his  sail- 
ing off  in  his  many-colored  balloon 
out  of  sight  among  the  stars.  His 
little  book  is  a  history,  not  a 
fanciful  declamation,  and  it  is  care- 
ful not  to  be  an  advocacy.  It  is  a 
book  which  wil  anger  Miss  Strick- 
land and  Mr.  Fronde  alike,  neither 
of  whom  is  content  to  weigh  with 
even-handed  measures.  But  while 
it  displeases  the  fanatics  and  par- 
tisans of  either  side,  it  wil  delight 
all  those  who  ar  willing  to  study 
history  without  passion,  and  to  ac- 
cept historical  characters  for  what 
they  wer  without  insisting  that  they 
wer  what  they  should  hav  been,  or 
what  we  think  they  should  hav 
been.  It  is  really  a  comfort  in  these 
days  of  passionate  historians  to 
meet  a  book  which  is  not  vitupera- 
tiv,  unjust,  one-sided,  and  false,— 
and  to  be  able  to  read  pleasantly 
and  coolly,  without  being  called  on 
to  hurl  anathemas  at  the  author  or 
his  treatment,  according  to  the 
vues  we  may  hold.  And  we  o  Mr. 
Lamartine  thanks  that  he  has  had 
the  good  sense  to  reproduce  Mary's 
touching  story  without  thinking  it 
necessary  to  make  himself  either 
champion  or  accuser."  [Lit.  Gazette. 

C821V 


49 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE 
CHAPEL  [Masters,  1864]  "  is  a 
charmingly-told  tale.  The  hero,  gen- 
erous and  bright,  but  without  much 
head  for  study,  is  stolen,  on  his  way 
to  school,  by  the  master  of  the 
Queen's  choristers,  Gyles;  and  the 
interest  of  the  story  lies  in  the  hard- 
ships which  the  little  fello  undergoes 
at  the  hands  of  his  cruel  task-mas- 
ter. The  author,  in  introducing  the 
morality-play  of  the  '  Pilgrimage  of 
Pleasure,'  which  the  boys  perform 
before  the  Queen,  takes  occasion  to 
weave  into  his  story  much  antiquar- 
ian knoledge;  and  the  manners  and 
customs,  and  even  the  phraseology 
of  the  period,  ar  preservd  through- 
out with  a  considerable  amount  of 
artistic  consistency."    [Reader.     822 

1575. 

KBNILWORTH.  [by  Walter 
Scott:  1821.]  "In  The  Abbot  Scott 
introduced  :\Iary  of  Scotland  [1542- 
87],  in  Keuilworth  he  brings  them 
into  the  presence  of  Elizabeth  [1533- 
1603].  He  has  drawn  Mary  as  lov- 
ing, lovely,  and  fascinating,  but 
withal  a  spiteful  and  passionate 
beauty;  while  Elizabeth,  with  her 
frequent  and  uncouth  oaths,  is  in- 
deed a  royal  termagant.  He  would, 
perhaps,  hav  evinced  more  taste  in 
softening  rather  than  hiteniug  the 
portraits  which  historians  hav  given 
of  these  ladies.  The  time  of  the 
story  is  placed  in  the  ISth  year  of 
Elizabeth's  reign  [1575],  when  she 
shou  in  the  pride  of  her  power  and 
the  meridian  of  her  life.  The  most 
prominent  character  is  the  Earl  of 
Leicester.  He  is  represented  as 
cruel  in  his  wrath,  grasping  in  his 
ambition,  and  treacherous  in  his 
love.  The  gallantry,  address  and 
accomplishments  which  adorn  his 
character  serv  to  deepen  these 
darker  shades.  In  thus  portraying 
the    favorit    earl,    the    author    has 


copied  very  closely  the  Leicester  of 
Schiller.  The  objects  of  their  love 
ar  not  the  same,  but  they  ar  the 
same  lovers— timid,  suspicious,  and 
temporizing,  and  in  the  end  aban- 
doning their  victims  to  the  fury  of 
the  storm,  while  they  seek  to  pre- 
serv  themselvs.  The  lovely  and  il- 
fated  Amy  is  drawn  with  those  nice 
and  true  strokes  which  proclaim  the 
Author  of  Waverly.  But  her  his- 
tory is  the  greatest  fault  of  the 
book.  It  is  a  tale  of  unbroken,  un- 
relieved distress.  The  pleasures  of 
the  fete  at  Kenilworth— which  ar  de- 
scribed in  the  spirit  of  Shakspere— , 
ar  thrown  into  confusion  by  her  dis- 
tresses; the  gorgeous  festivity,  the 
joyous  spirit  which  breathes  over 
them,  saddened  by  her  presence. 
The  unpleasant  feeling  arising  from 
the  description  of  her  woes  is  not 
relieved  by  any  nobleness  or  gener- 
osity in  the  calculating  Leicester; 
and  the  final  catastrophe  not  only 
disgusts  the  taste,  but  the  feelings 
of  the  reader."  [Literary  Repos.  823 

1580-SS. 

WESTWARD  HO!  [by  C:  Kings- 
ley:  Macmillan,  1855.]  "  The  author 
has  read  the  time  carefully,  and  has 
studied  Hakluyt  with  the  other  rec- 
ords, English  and  Spanish,  of  the 
marvelous  achievements  of  the  ad- 
venturers on  the  Spanish  main,  the 
fame  and  profit  whereof  made  the 
cry  of  '  Westward  Ho!  '  the  motto 
of  English  enterprise  and  energy  in 
the  16th  century.  Nor  has  he  less 
had  in  vue  the  inculcation  of  a  bit- 
ter hatred  and  contempt  for  Jesuit- 
ism as  the  deadly  enemy  of  man- 
hood, truth  and  liberty,  civil  and  re- 
ligious. As  a  glorification  of  Eliza- 
beth and  her  England— a  holding  up 
of  unconscious  rectitude  and  manly 
hardihood  as  tlie  jewels  of  English 
character,  a  picture  of  the  great 
struggle,  in  the  old   world  and  the 


50 


HISTORY :— ENGLAJSTD. 


new,  of  England  and  Protestantism 
against  Spain  and  tlie  Inquisition— 
'Westward  Ho!'  is  a  booli  wliieb 
had  to  be  Avritten,  and  has  been 
written  in  a  worthy  spirit."  [Na- 
tional Review.]—"  In  describing  such 
a  period  as  that  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
the  author,  in  common  with  every 
man  '  whose  limbs  wer  made  in 
England,'  can  not  help  delivering 
himself  to  the  inspiration  and  as- 
piration of  the  time.  The  various 
adventures  of  his  hero  enable  him 
to  describe  the  rural  life  of  the 
period,  the  manners  of  the  court, 
the  war  in  Ireland,  as  wel  as  the 
character  and  aims  of  the  sturdy 
sea-kings  who  made  war  on  the 
Spanish  colonies.  The  romance 
evinces  a  thoro  study  of  the  liter- 
ature, history  and  social  character- 
istics of  the  time.  The  author  has 
especially  caut,  as  by  moral  infec- 
tion, the  spirit  which  animates  the 
accounts  of  the  old  English  voyagers, 
and  discovers  the  quaint  ferocity 
which  characterizes  their  impres- 
sions of  the  Spaniards.  In  his  pages, 
and  seemingly  in  his  heart,  he  has 
produced  the  passions  of  that  day  in 
respect  to  Spain.  The  closing  scenes 
of  the  book  ar  devoted  to  a  long 
and  vivid  narrativ  of  the  gradual 
destruction  of  the  Armada  [1.5SS]. 
There  ar  passages  in  the  volume  of 
great  eloquence  and  beauty,  es- 
pecially the  descriptions  of  scen- 
ery. As  a  novel,  the  events  hav 
little  connection  with  each  other, 
having  no  other  bond  than  the 
casual  one  of  the  presence  of  the 
hero  in  each.  Among  the  most  in- 
teresting portions  ar  those  in  which 
appear  Ralegh  and  Spenser  [1553- 
99],  Drake  and  Hawkins  [1520-95], 
Grenville  [1510-91]  and  Lord  How- 
ard [1536-1624].  The  characteriza- 
tion is  generally  good,  tho  there  ar 
frequent  violations  of  probability  in 
incidents.  The  book,  as  a  whole, 
is  a  splendid  and  striking  produc- 


tion, fastening  the  attention  it 
sometimes  tantalizes,  and  compen- 
sating, by  a  certain  dark,  daring, 
and  vehement  life  for  its  not  in- 
frequent affectation  and  wilfulness." 
[Graham's  Mag.]—"  Seldom  hav  we 
been  more  reluctant  to  finish  the 
reading  of  a  book  than  when  we 
laid  down  this  record  of  the  glorious 
days  of  '  good  Queen  Bess.'  There 
is  an  intensity  of  life  in  the  style  of 
Kingsley  which  takes  captiv  at  once 
the  imagination.  You  ar  no  longer 
under  the  sun  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. You  ar  plunged  into  the  tur- 
bulence and  turmoil  of  the  heroic 
age  in  England— an  age  whose  mity 
problems  and  contests  awoke  the 
genius  of  man  to  such  gigantic  ef- 
forts as  hav  hardly  had  a  parallel. 
You  look  throu  no  long  vista  of 
ages;  you  ar  with  Amyas,  the  tall, 
overgrown  youth,  as  he  steps  for- 
ward into  the  writer's  magic  ring, 
with  pulses  precociously  beating 
for  the  '  battle  of  life  '—no  figura- 
tiv  term  in  those  days.  You  gaze 
into  the  noble  face  of  the  chivalrous, 
gentle,  pure-souled  Francis  Leigh. 
But  how  shall  we  speak  of  the 
glimpses  given  into  a  '  World  '  then 
indeed  'New'?  of  Margarita,  La 
Guayra,  Higuerote,  and  the  '  Banks 
of  the  Meta '  ?  What  those  grand 
South  American  forests  may  be  in 
reality,  we  kno  not;  what  they  hav 
been  to  the  imagination  of  Kings- 
ley,  we  never  can  forget.  To  read 
a  chapter  of  these  descriptions  is 
like  spending  an  hour  on  conse- 
crated ground.  The  '  dauter  of  the 
Sun,'  Spanish-born  and  forest-bred— 
wild,  resolute,  passionate  Ayacanora 
—in  her  transition  from  the  savage 
to  the  civilized  state,  givs  us  a  fresh 
and  brilliant  phase  of  woman's  na- 
ture. We  feel  that  she  is  the  only 
mate  for  the  Herculean  Amyas, 
whose  bigotry,  national  prejudices, 
and  terrible  oaths  of  vengeance,  so 
long  fight  down  the  impulses  of  his 
really  noble  heart."    [Nat.  Era.    824 


51 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


FOR  GOD  AND  GOLD  [by  Julian 
Corbett:  Macmillan,  1SS8]  "  deals 
with  the  times  of  Sir  Francis  Drake 
[1540-95],  whose  character  and  ca- 
reer offer  excellent  opportunities  to 
the  writer  of  adventure  based  on 
a  semblance,  at  least,  of  fact.  The 
story  recalls  '  Westward  Ho '  to 
some  extent,  but  hardly  enuf  to  in- 
vite comparison.  But  even  if  one 
wer  tempted  to  make  the  compari- 
son, '  For  God  and  Gold  '  has  noth- 
ing to  lose  thereby.  For  it  is  a 
story  with  an  interest  and  individu- 
ality of  its  own,  written  in  a  quaint 
and  taking  way,  and  dealing  with 
brave,  bi-minded,  and  generous  peo- 
ple. No  one  can  help  loving  the 
hero  captain,  or  admiring  his  de- 
voted and  courageous  men.  Nor  can 
one  folio  the  history  of  their  ex- 
ploits as  told  by  the  polished  and 
scholarly  Mr.  Festing  without  be- 
ing interested."    [Nation.  825 

RALEGH,  his  Exploits  and  Voy- 
ages, [by  G:  M.  Towle:  Lee,  1881.] 
"Ralegh's  life  [1552-1618]  has  been 
many  times  told,  but  it  has  a  charm 
that  wil  always  make  it  worth  tell- 
ing again.  It  is  worth  while  to  tel 
the  apocryphal  stories  of  the  cloak 
and  the  ring,  as  they  ar  stories 
which  everybody  6t  to  kno;  but  the 
reader  6t  to  be  informed  that  they 
ar  apocryphal."    [Nation.  825a 

As  collateral  reading:— 

LIFE  AND  TIMES  OF  SIR 
PHILIP  SIDNEY.  [Ticknor,  1858.] 
"  Sidney's  never-waning  popularity 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  he  was  the 
embodiment  of  the  gentleman  of 
that  age.  The  prestige  which  sur- 
rounds him  is  the  homage  that  man- 
kind universally  pays  to  consistent 
goodness,  in  persons  of  conspicuous 
talent  or  eminent  position.  His  life 
was  elementary  and  suggestiv, 
i-ather  than  activ  and  practical;  and 
iindoubtodly  nothing  became  him 
therein  like  the  leaving  it.    We  ar 


willingly  recalled  to  the  scenes  of 
that  tempestuous  era  by  the  associa- 
tions of  this  most  agreeable  narra- 
tiv:  and  as  Ave  turn  over  its  pages, 
the  fitful  scenes  of  the  Massacre  of 
St.  Bartholomew's  [1572],  of  the  Ar- 
mada [1588],  and  of  other  stirring 
deeds  of  those  days,  stand  out  clear 
and  sharp  on  our  mental  horizon." 
[Albion.  C825h 

MEMOIR  OF  SIR  PHILIP 
SIDNEY,  [by  H.  R.  Fox  Bourne: 
Chapman,  1862.]  "The  author 
sketches  the  history  of  Sydney 
biography,  and  by  the  unaffected 
manner  of  his  introduction,  sends 
the  reader  with  a  good  wil  to  the 
book,  in  which  we  find  the  same 
grace  of  a  quiet  simplicity.  The 
facts  ar  wel  grouped,  and  there  is 
not  one  florid  sentence.  There  ar 
no  circuitous  phrases,  no  sentences 
cumbrous  with  long  words.  Every- 
thing is  told  in  the  directest  way 
and  in  the  simplest  phrase,  without 
pushing  to  affectation  even  the  evi- 
dent preference  for  Saxon  English." 
[Examiner. 

—  SAME.  [Putnam,  1892.]  "  The 
author  has  recast  his  excellent  mem- 
oir, and  shos  Sidney  morg  as  the 
courtier,  man  of  affairs,  and  soldier 
than  as  the  author  of  Arcadia  and 
of  some  of  the  sweetest  love-son- 
nets in  the  language,  tho  this  side 
of  his  character  is  by  no  means 
neglected.  We  feel  anew  the  undy- 
ing charm  of  the  man  who  surely 
deservs  to  be  deemd,  in  the  hiest 
sense  of  that  much-abused  word,  the 
typical  gentleman  of  our  race,  and 
whose  greatness,  notwithstanding 
all  his  accomplishments,  all  his 
share  in  the  many-sided  life  of  his 
time,  was  the  greatness  of  character 
rather  than  of  achievement.  The  il- 
lustrations ar  numerous  and  very 
well  selected."    [Atlantic.  825.1 

W:  SHAKSPERE:  a  Biography, 
[by  C:  Knight:  1843.]    "Biography, 


52 


HISTORY :— ENGLAND. 


we  can  not  call  this  book,  but  it  is 
clever    biographical    romance,    and 
sets  before  us  the  scenes  and  char- 
acters in  the  midst  of  which  there 
is    good    reason    to    suppose    that 
Shakspere    livd,    thot,     wrote,    and 
made   himself   immortal."      [Exam- 
iner. CS25S 
THE       YOUTH       OF       SHAKS- 
PEARE.   [by  Folkestone  Williams: 
N.  Y.,  Burgess,  1847.]    "  The  author 
has  collected  every  established  fact 
and  traditionary   incident,   and  the 
result   is,   that   a    narrativ,   life-like 
and  real,  is  produced.    [Albion.    826 
SHAKSPEARE          AND  HIS 
FRIENDS,  [by  F.  Williams:  N.  Y., 
Burgess,  1847.]    "  We  ar  introduced 
to  a  gallery  of  living  portraits,  rich 
in  coloring,  truthful  in  delineation, 
and  striking  in  their  development  of 
individual  character.  The  great  con- 
temporaries of  the  immortal  bard  ar 
all  brot  upon  the  canvas.  Elizabeth, 
Southampton,    Essex,    Raleigh,   Ben 
Jonson    [1573-1637]    and    the    gifted 
actors  of  '  The  Globe  '  move  before 
us,  while  the  graphic  incidents  and 
picturesque  descriptions  lend  addi- 
tional fascination  to  the  work."  [Al- 
bion. 827 
THE   SECRET  PASSION  [by  F. 
Williams:     N.     Y.,     Burgess,     1847] 
"  completes  the  history  of  the  great 
bard,  and  is  principally  devoted  to 
the  solution  of  the  mystery  of  that 
absorbing  passion  which  gave  rise 
to    the    sonnets.      The    author    has 
made  out  an  ingenious  case,  which 
he    has    invested    with    his    usual 
graphic  powers  of  delineation,  call- 
ing in  the  aid  of  auxiliary  incidents 
and  characters  to  illustrate  his  de- 
sign, and  producing,  as  a  whole,  a 
hily  interesting  and  wel  told  tale." 
[Albion.]— [Letter   to  the   Editor   of 
the    Critic,    Feb.,    1861.]—"  In    your 
current  impression  under  the  head 
of      '  Books      Wanted,'      I      notice 
'  Shakespeare   and   his   Friends,    by 
Gait.'    Will   you  permit  me  to  say 


that  Mr.  Gait  never  wrote  a  line 
of  it;  that  the  work  has  long  been 
out  of  print,  and  I  hav  for  several 
years  been  vainly  endeavoring  to 
procure  a  copy  either  of  the  orig- 
inal or  of  the  pirated  editions.  Let 
me  take  up  a  line  or  two  more  of 
your  space  to  assure  your  corres- 
pondent that  '  Shakespeare  and  his 
Friends  '  is  an  early  production  of 
(Yours,   «fec.)   Folkestone  Williams." 

828 

SHAKSPERE'S  ENGLAND,  [by 
G:  Walter  Thornbury:-  Longman, 
1856.]  "  Shakspere's  works  ar  full 
of  reference  to  the  manners  of  his 
time;  and  an  agreeable  and  easy 
guide  to  a  comprehension  of  them, 
written  with  a  distinct  vue  to  the 
informing  of  those  who  desire  to 
carry  a  modicum  of  the  right  sort 
of  knoledge  to  the  reading  of  their 
Shakspere,  is  a  work  usefully  de- 
signed."   [Examiner.  829 

TALES  OF  A  GRANDFATHER 
[by  Walter  Scott:  1828]  "is  one  of 
the  best  children's  books  we  hav 
ever  seen.  Its  object  is  by  select- 
ing the  most  striking  incidents,  at 
distinct  eras,  to  present  a  forcible, 
tho  not  a  continuous  picture  of  the 
entire  history  of  Scotland.  The 
book  embraces  a  period  from  the 
earliest  notice  to  1603.  Its  details, 
of  course,  comprise  all  the  romantic 
and  striking  events  of  the  Scottish 
annals;  and  these,  tho  involvd  in 
political  theory,  ar  told  in  a  style 
at  once  perspicuous  and  amusing, 
with  perfect  simpleness,  and  yet 
with     no     puerility."    [Athenaeum. 

830 

1603. 

JUDITH  SHAKESPEARE,  [by 
W:  Black:  Harper,  1884.]  "  So 
sweet  and  gracious  a  figure  as 
'  Judith  Shakespeare '  would  be 
sure  of  a  welcom  even  if  presented 
by  an  unknown  hand.  It  was  wel 
imagind  of  Mr.  Black  to  choose  her 


53 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOL'XO 


as  the  centre  of  a  sketch  of  coun- 
try life— call  it  pastoral  or  idyl,  as 
one  pleases.  If  it  was  somewhat 
hazardous  to  put  a  story  so  close  in 
place  and  time  to  '  Kenilworth,'  he 
has  chosen  a  side  of  the  life  so 
different  as  not  to  provoke  com- 
parison with  Scott.  The  smooth-flo- 
ing  Avon,  the  wide  white  skies,  the 
sunny  rose-filled  garden,  make  fit 
place  for  his  pretty  maids."  [Na- 
tion. 8^1 
1627. 
LORD  MONTAGU'S  PAGE,  [by 
G:  P.  R.  James:  Phil'a,  Childs, 
1858.]  "Lord  Montagu  is  the 
associate  and  intimate  friend  of 
the  Duke  of  Buckingham.  .  .  . 
He  is  sent  to  Rochelle,  just  at  the 
beginning  of  the  memorable  siege 
[1627]  by  Richelieu  and  Louis  XIII., 
and  chance  throes  him  into  frequent 
intercourse  with  the  great  Cardinal, 
and  into  an   unconscious  aiding  of 

his  schemes The  new  portraiture, 

tho  in  liter  colors  than  of  yore,  is 
sketched  with  a  master's  hand;  as 
ar  also  the  mere  outlines  of  several 
real  personages  of  the  time,  such  as 
the  Prince  of  Soubise,  the  Duke  of 
Rohan,  the  Duchess  of  Chevreuse, 
and  Guitou,  the  valiant  defender  of 
Rcchelle.  The  love  portion  is  pretty 
and  full  of  unexpected  turns;  the 
wind-up  is  graceful."  [Albion.  832 
THE  WHITE  GAUNTLET  [by 
[T:]  Mayne  Reid:  Skeet,  1864]  "  re- 
lates an  episode  previous  to  the  first 
conflict  between  the  Parliament  and 
the  King.  It  introduces  Pym,  Hamp- 
den, Martin,  and  Sir  Harry  Vane. 
It  has  incident  and  bustle,  but  it 
has  the  worst  faults  of  the  historical 
novels  of  the  past  generation,  and 
a  good  deal  of  extra  vulgarity  to 
boot."    [Reader.  833 

1641. 
WITH  THE  KING  AT  OXFORD 
[by     Alfred     J:     Church:     Seeley, 
1886]  "  purports  to  be  written  by  a 


ycung    Royalist.      All    which    con- 
cerns events  at  Oxford  is  told  with 
a   detail   and   realization   wel   kept 
up,  and  the  story  is  completed  by 
a  more  sketchy  treatment  of  the  be- 
ginning and  end  of  the  war.     Prof. 
Church   seems   to    hav   begun    with 
considerable  enjoyment  of  his  task, 
and  in  some  of  his  pages  the  pithy 
simplicity    of   the    old    style   is   un- 
commonly wel  caut,  but  the  amuse- 
ment appears  to  have  flagged  some- 
what, and  the  scene  of  the  '  purg- 
ing '  by  Colonel  Pride  lacs  even  such 
spirit  as  may  quicken  a  slight  and 
hasty  narrativ.      The  author's  best 
passages  ar  ecclesiastical  and  local. 
His  story  is  illustrated  with  curious 
drawings    contemporary    with    his 
personages."    [Saturday  Rev.        834 
THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  NEW 
FOREST,    [by   F:    Marryat:    Hurst 
1S48.]      "  Humphrey    Armitage    re- 
claims fields  from  the  waste;  tames 
wild    animals,    and    uses    saw    and 
hatchet  effectually.  And  his  brother, 
with  some  of  the  other  characters, 
leads   the  young  mind   onward  by 
easy  steps,  from  scenes  of  mere  do- 
mestic to  scenes  of  public  or  polit- 
ical interest.    The  historical  element 
is  conceived  in  a  tone  sufficiently  lib- 
eral   to    reconcile    the    independent 
thinker,  with  suflicient  deference  to 
conventional    opinions    to    repel    no 
one.    There  is  a  really  healthy  tone 
of  moral  feeling  about  all  Captain 
Marryat's    writings,    rendered    evi- 
dent in  many  ways,  and  especially 
by  an  air  of  manly  candor,  and  free- 
dom    from     anxious     reservs.    His 
style,    too,    from    its    sterling    sim- 
plicity,   is    admirably    adapted    to 
children.    In  short,  we  strongly  sus- 
pect  him   to   be   our  best    existing 
writer  for  young  people.      He  givs 
them   what   they   really   feel   inter- 
ested in;  and  his  tone  is  such  as  to 
inspire  boys  with  frank   manliness, 
girls  with  firm  womanliness."    [Ex- 
aminer. 835 
54 


HISTORY :— ENGLAND. 


THE  CAREWES  [by  M..  Gillies: 
Kent,  1S60]  "  is  written  from  the 
popular  side,  and  wel  displays  not 
only  its  public  course,  but  in  part 
also  its  effect  upon  the  homes  of 
the  people."    [Examiner.  S3G 

CAVALIERS  AND  ROUND- 
HEADS, [by  J:  G:  Edgar:  Bell, 
1861.]  "  Seeing  that  it  does  no  very 
great  harm  now  to  believe  that  King- 
Charles  was  a  sainted  martyr,  and 
Cromwell  anything  but  what  he 
should  be,  we  may  let  Mr.  Edgar's 
politics  pass  for  the  sake  of  the  hon- 
est heartiness  with  which  he  pro- 
fesses them."    [Critic.  837 

FRIENDS  THO  DIVIDED  [by 
G:  Alfred  Henty:  Griffith,  1883]  "is 
a  novel  founded  on  those  parts  of 
the  story  of  the  Civil  "War  in  which 
Prince  Rupert  figures  most  largely." 
[Saturday  Review.  838 

JUDGED  BY  APPEARANCES, 
[by  Eleanor  Lloyd:  London  Lit.  Soc, 
1886.]  "  The  principal  figure  in  the 
story  is  that  of  a  Puritan  ant.  And 
the  booTk  is  solid  and  substantial, 
fit  for  the  large  capacity  of  such 
readers  as  wil  consent  to  be  com- 
pensated for  a  good  deal  of  seven- 
teenth-century divinity  by  plenty  of 
story."    [Saturday  Review.  839 

UNDER  THE  STORM,  [by  C. 
M..  Yonge:  Whittaker,  1887.]  "  The 
sound  of  battle  scarcely  echoes 
throu  the  story,  which  professes  to 
tel  only  how  a  family  of  children 
kept  themselvs  alive  during  the  na- 
tion's troubles.  The  heroic  tempera- 
ment of  the  eldest  boy  is  displayed 
quite  as  finely  in  his  care  of  his  sis- 
ters as  in  his  defense  of  the  com- 
munion vessels."    [Nation.  840 

1651. 

THE  CAVALIER,  [by  G:  P.  R. 
James  (1801-60):  Peterson,  1859.] 
"  Mr.  James,  taking  up  a  thread  let 
fall  in  '  Lord  Montagu's  Page,' 
weaves   from   it   a   very   brief   and 


rather  sketchy  narrativ  of  adven- 
ture, wherein  we  ar  now  at  a 
chateau,  and  now  across  the  Straits. 
There  is  a  glimpse  of  Cromwell,  an 
episode  of  '  the  crowning  mercy  of 
Worcester';  but,  tho  the  practised 
hand  and  the  mind  garnished  with 
historic  lore  be  evident,  there  is  no 
superabundance  of  novelty  or  in- 
dividuality. We  hav  gone  throu 
such  part  of  the  checkered  course 
of  the  Cavalier  as  is  here  set  down, 
but  he  will  not  find  a  place  in  our 
recollection  side  by  side  with  '  Mary 
of  Burgundy  '  and  '  Richelieu.' " 
[Albion. 

SAME    ("Bernard    Marsh"), 

Bentley,  18(>4.  841 

WOODSTOCK  [by  Walter  Scott: 
Carey,  1826]  "  is  a  picture  of  Eng- 
land after  Worcester  [1651],  when 
Charles  I.  was  hunted  like  a  nox- 
ious beast.  The  story  is  intended  to 
exhibit  the  exertions  and  sacrifices 
which  his  adherents  wer  ready  to 
make  in  this  hour  of  his  peril,  their 
devout  loyalty  and  chivalrous  honor, 
together  with  the  habits  of  recless 
dissipation  which  the  same  troubles 
had  generated  in  a  portion  of  the 
Cavaliers,  as  contrasted  with  the 
contempt  for  established  orders  in 
church  and  state,  the  spiritual  pride, 
puritanical  principles  and  religious 
enthusiasm  of  the  prevailing  party. 
With  the  exception  of  Cromwell  and 
the  fugitiv  prince,  the  great  men  of 
the  period  ar  but  sparingly  ex- 
hibited. It  is  as  every  production 
of  such  hi  and  practised  talent  must 
be,  spirited  and  interesting."  [U.  S. 
Lit.  Gazette.  842 

1652. 

TO  HORSE  AND  AWAY,  [by  F.. 
M..  Peard:  Whittaker,  1888.] 
"  Happy  the  period  which  has  this 
author  for  its  romancer,  and  happy 
the  child  who  gets  the  romance  to 
read.  '  To  Horse  and  Away '  is  a 
story    of    some    English    lads    and 


55 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


maidens  in  the  disorderly  times  of 
1652,  when  the  Roundheads  had 
usurped  [sic]  the  government, 
Charles  II.  was  in  hiding,  and  most 
of  his  supporters  wer  refugees. 
Whether  the  restless  Adrian,  who 
stole  away  one  dark  night  from  the 
Red  House  to  go  off  to  fight  for  the 
King,  did  more  important  servig 
than  the  more  self-controled  Roger, 
who  staid  at  home  and  garded  the 
women  and  children,  each  boy  must 
determin  for  himself."  [Critic.  843 
THE  CAVALIERS  OF  ENG- 
LAND [by  H:  W:  Herbert:  Redfield, 
1852]  "  givs  pictures  of  ancient 
chivalry,  colored  with  warmth.  The 
reader  is  borne  along  rapidly  in  the 
stream  of  the  narrativ.  Mr.  Her- 
bert builds  on  a  loving  historical 
study,  and  brings  to  his  sketches 
the  wel  known  arts  of  cultivated 
historical  fiction.  His  out-of-door 
life  stands  him  in  good  stead,  too, 
as  wel  as  his  library  studies,  when 
a  tournament  is  on  foot  or  battle 
to  be  done."    [Literary  World.     844 

1653. 

ETHNE.  [by  E.  M.  (Story)  Field: 
Young,  1888.]  "  No  men  did  more 
to  assure  liberty  and  its  blessings  to 
remote  posterity  than  did  the  ruth- 
less soldiers  of  the  Lord  and  Oliver 
Cromwell,  yet  none  hav  assumed  to 
us  in  the  lapse  of  time  so  unlovable 
personality.  Especially  during  the 
occupation  of  Ulster  [1653],  while 
the  nativs  wer  being  transplanted  to 
the  wilds  of  Connaught,  do  the 
Roundheads  appear  wholy  cruel,  hy- 
pocritical, and  inhuman.  The  char- 
acter of  Roger-Standfast-on-the-Roc, 
the  dominating  personality  in 
'  Ethne,'  confirms  preconceived  hos- 
tility against  his  class.  He  has  no 
vices,  but  his  virtues  ar  insufferable. 
.  .  .  The  greater  part  of  the  story, 
couched  in  exaggerated  phrases  of 
Puritan    cant,    is    exceedingly    tire- 


som.  It  bgars  the  stamp,  however, 
of  industrious  research,  and  several 
chapters  descriptiv  of  customs  of 
the  peasantry  ar  wel  worth  read- 
ing." [Nation.  845 
1662. 

PATTIE     DURANT.     [by     Ellen 

( )  Clacy:  Virtue,   1863.]    "  The 

picture  of  the  motivs  for  resistance 
and  the  sufferings  of  the  noncon- 
formists [16G2]  ar  remarkably  truth- 
ful and  affecting.  A  simpler,  more 
artless,  more  touching  little  story 
it  would  be  hard  to  find,  and  tho  the 
incidents  ar  few  and  of  a  generally 
uniform  character,  they  ar  very  nat- 
urally wrot,  and  tend  to  sustain  the 
reader's  interest  throughout."  [Ex- 
aminer. 846 
1665. 

CALEB  FIELD  [by  Ma.  Oliphant 
(Wilson)  Oliphant:  Harper,  1851] 
"  is  a  delightful  volume,  in  which 
an  interesting  story  is  told  in  a 
style  of  greatest  purity  and  sweet- 
ness. The  author  is  evidently  a 
student  of  the  old  English  prose 
writers,  and  has  caut  some  of  their 
grand  serenity  and  repose  in  the 
movement  of  his  thots  and  senti- 
ments."   [Graham's  Mag.  847 

CHERRY  AND  VIOLET  [by  A.. 
(Manning)  Rathbone:  Hall,  1853;  N. 
Y.,  Dodd,  1866]  "  is  a  tale  of  the 
great  plague,  written  in  the  sup- 
posed character  of  one  who  livd  at 
the  time,  and  printed  in  the  old 
type.  It  is  by  the  lively  and  versa- 
til  writer  of  supposed  memoirs  of 
the  first  Mrs.  Milton,  of  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet More,  of  the  much  provoked 
Mrs.  Palissy,  and  of  other  bygone 
dames;  having  the  same  character 
of  artless  narrativ  which  distin- 
guished its  predecessors,  only  like 
them  perhaps  occasionally  a  little 
too  artless,  and  prone  to  what  Sir 
Hugh  calls  affectations  even  in  its 
extreme  desire  to  avoid  them.  The 
strength   of  the    writer   lies   in   do- 


56 


HISTORY :— ENGLAND. 


mestic  scenes,  and  in  expressing 
the  homely  thots,  anxieties,  and 
hopes  connected  with  them;  which 
leads  her  in  this  latest  of  her  stories 
wisely  to  avoid,  in  the  incidents  by 
which  she  illustrates  the  terrible 
days  of  plague  and  fire,  any  direct 
comparison  with  such  a  master  of 
description  as  DeFoe."    [Examiner. 

848 
1666. 

WHEN  LONDON  BURNED  [by 
G:  Alfred  Henty:  Scribner,  1894]  "  is 
a  tale  of  the  great  fire  of  1666,  but 
it  covers  other  ground  as  well — 
notably  that  of  the  Restoration,  the 
Plague,  and  the  war  with  the 
Dutch."    [Critic.  849 

1679. 

HUNTED  AND  HARRIED,  [by 
Ro.  M.  Ballantyue:  Blackie,  1892.] 
"  This  tale  of  the  Covenanters  is  a 
rousing  and  picturesque  story,  told 
from  a  rigidly  Cameronian  point  of 
vue."    [Saturday  Review.  850 

1680. 

MY  MISTRESS  THE  QUEEN 
[by  M..  Anna  (Paull)  Ripley:  Blackie, 
1885]  "  is  a  pretty  story  in  the 
form  of  an  autobiography  written 
by  a  girl  who  went  to  Holland  in 
the  train  of  the  Princess  Mary,  af- 
terward Mary  I."    [Athenaeum.  851 

IN  THE  GOLDEN  DAYS  [by 
"  Edna  Lyall,"  i.  e.,  Ada  Ellen  Bay- 
ley:  Hurst,  1885]  "  is  deeply  inter- 
esting for  its  touching  and  tender 
recital  of  the  love  story  and  mis- 
fortunes of  its  lovers.  Hugo  is  the 
friend  of  that  noble  patriot  Algernon 
Sidney  [1622-83],  of  whom  a  strik- 
ing and  a  very  moving  pic- 
ture is  presented— and,  rather  than 
betray  his  friend,  he  remains 
faithful  to  the  point  of  death,  re- 
fusing even  the  dazzling  offers  made 
him  by  Charles.    As  for  Joyce,  she 


is  a  true  woman,  and  proves  that 
'  the  crown  of  a  woman's  love  is 
the  bearing  of  pain  for  and  with  the 
one  she  loves.'  The  book  would  be 
overweited  with  sadness  but  for  the 
delightful  glimpses  we  get  into  the 
home  of  the  fine  old  nonconforming 
patriot  and  soldier.  Col.  Wharncliffe. 
Many  historical  characters  ar 
freshly  and  vigorously  drawn,  in- 
cluding J:  Evelyn,  the  little  Duchess 
of  Grafton,  Sir  W:  and  M..  Denham, 
Betterton  the  actor,  and  Francis 
Bampfield.  But,  apart  from  all  his- 
torical aspects,  as  a  narrativ  of  hu- 
man love  and  human  suffering,  the 
novel  is  one  to  giv  unusual  pleas- 
ure." [Academy.  852 
IN  THE  SERVICE  OF  RACHEL 
LADY  RUSSELL  [by  Emma  (Mar- 
tin) Marshall:  Seeley,  1892]  "  is  a 
particularly  pretty  story.  The  scenes 
in  the  home-life  of  Lady  Russell 
[1636-1723]  ar  taken  from  her  letters. 
The  imaginary  characters  ar  made 
very  real  and  interesting."  [Satur- 
day Review.  853 

As  collateral  reading:^ 

LETTERS  OF  RACHEL,  LADY 
RUSSELL  [Longman,  1854]  "  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  books  in  the 
language.  It  opens  with  the  effu- 
sions of  a  happy  wife,  and  toards  the 
close  is  interspersed  with  many  of 
the  mother's  letters  to  her  children. 
One  of  these  is  so  peculiarly  full 
of  the  sweet  spirit  that  pervades 
them  all,  that  it  wil  make  a  most 
profound  impression  on  all  readers. 
There  is  no  better  evidence  in  liter- 
ature than  these  letters  afford  of  the 
superiority  of  matter  over  manner, 
for  there  is  not  a  trie  of  art  in  them. 
In  these  letters,  written  without  the 
remotest  thot  that  any  stranger's  eye 
would  read  them— full  of  a  sort  of 
clumsiness  in  the  use  of  words,  and 
without  one  apostrophe  to  anything 
— written   in   a   blundering   way,   if 


57 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


you  wil— tliere  is  a  perfectness  of 
grace  and  beauty,  a  charm  of  taste, 
an  exquisit  delicacy,  tliat  it  would 
be  vain  to  look  for  in  the  cleverest 
letters  written  with  a  purpos  of  dis- 
play. None  of  the  fascinations  of 
the  French  in  this  respect  ar  lost 
upon  us;  we  enjoy  all  the  letters  of 
their  lady-writers,  and  think  them 
extremely  entertaining;  but  not  to 
credit  our  country  with  all  such 
correspondence  ever  published, — not 
even  to  get  an  English  S6vign§, 
would  we  giv  up  the  possession  of 
these  letters  of  Lady  Russell.  As 
they  ar  now  published,  we  would 
hav  them  become,  more  than  they 
ever  hav  been,  a  household  book. 
We  speak  of  their  writer  as  a  hi- 
hearted  woman,  and  a  heroin,  and 
so  far  we  do  wel;— but  her  noble- 
ness and  fortitude,  her  piety,  and 
all  the  graces  of  her  life,  wer  but 
a  beautiful  expression  of  the  char- 
acter which  is  in  this  country  pecu- 
liarly reverenced,  as  that  which 
most  adorns  an  English  wife  and 
mother.  It  is  a  character  simple 
enuf  in  all  its  excellence  and  hon- 
esty. It  implies  no  abnegation  even 
of  the  little  wholesom  tittle-tattle 
which  all  women  love.  The  ne-^ 
edition  opens  with  a  letter  of  gossip 
written  before  her  marriage."  [Ex- 
aminer. C8o3a 

1685. 

THE  FATE,  [by  G:  P.  R.  James: 
Harper,  1851.]  "  The  events  de- 
scribed ar  those  of  the  rebellion  of 
1685,  and  many  of  the  prominent 
characters  ar  sketched  with  bold- 
ness 'and  fidelity.  Monmouth,  Jef- 
fries, Churchill,  Feversham,  Kirke, 
the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  and  others, 
figure.  The  plot  is  skilfully  con- 
trived and  artistically  developed." 
[Literary  World.  854 

DUKE'S  WINTON  [by  J.  R. 
Henslowe:    Maxwell,    1886]    "deals 


with  the  neborhood  and  battle  of 
Sedgemoor,  and  is  written  by  one 
who  knoes  the  country  wel.  The 
period  is  comparativly  unhacneyed 
in  literature,  and  the  author  is  wise 
enuf  to  meddle  with  historical  per- 
sonages as  little  as  possible.  His 
fictitious  characters  ar  treated  with 
spirit,  and  differ  sufliciently  in  their 
natures  to  provide  the  reader  with 
fresh  subjects  of  interest.  The  in- 
grained coquetry  of  Temperance,  the 
beautiful  Mistress  Ashbridge,  who, 
in  spite  of  her  sincere  devotion  to 
Monmouth's  fugitiv  folloer,  Humph- 
rey Braden,  can  not  help  flirting 
with  every  man  that  crosses  her 
path,  contrasts  sharply  with  the 
quiet,  hopeless  love  of  her  sister  Per- 
nel  for  one  of  Temperance's  many 
adorers.  The  few  scenes  which  de- 
scribe the  interior  of  the  court  and 
the  Council-chamber  ar  more  life- 
like and  probable  than  usual;  and 
Claverhouse  is  a  picturesque  and 
sympathetic  figure  on  any  canvas." 
[Saturday  Review.  855 

FOR  FAITH  AND  FREEDOM. 
[by  Walter  Besant:  Harper,  1889.] 
"  The  author  selects  an  exciting  and 
dramatic  yesterday  hitherto  ovei"- 
looked  by  novelists  [!!  Had  the 
critic  not  read  '  Lorna  Doone '  ?] 
The  landing  of  Monmouth  with  in- 
tention to  rescue  Protestant  England 
from  the  rule  of  his  uncle,  and  the 
vengeance  wreaked  on  the  West  by 
the  cruel  and  gloomy  Stuart  after 
his  victory  at  Sedgemoor,  furnish 
historical  foundation  for  a  fiction 
full  of  movement  and  human 
warmth  and  color."    [Nation.       856 

MICAH  CLARKE,  [by  Arthur 
Conan  Doyle:  Longman,  1889.]  "  The 
story  of  the  Rebellion  of  1685  has 
been  forestalled  by  Mr.  Besant.  But 
the  tale  can  be  twice  told  without 
loss,  especially  when  there  is  no  re- 
semblance between  the  characters 
and  the  minor  incidents.  Micah  had 
a  stirring  time  for  a  month  or  two, 


58 


UNIVERSITY 


OF 


HISTORY :— ENGL  AND. 


and  describes  his  adventures  graph- 
ically. He  is  not  the  hero  of  his 
tale,  but  an  humble  folloer  of  Deci- 
mus  Saxton,  who  had  sold  his 
sword  to  every  prince  in  Europe,  but 
was  none  the  less  able  a  soldier  be- 
cause he  plied  his  trade  neither  for 
principle  nor  patriotism,  but  for 
money  and  pure  love  of  fight.  Deci- 
mus  is  a  spirited  example  of  the 
soldier  of  fortune,  and  his  figure 
makes  a  brilliant  contrast  to  that 
of  the  unhappy  Monmouth."  [Na- 
tion.]—" The  interest  of  the  book  is 
rather  in  the  painting  of  the  char- 
acters of  the  actors  than  in  their 
acts.  The  rebellion  was  so  short 
that,  in  order  to  make  it  the  theme 
of  the  story,  Mr.  Doyle  has  intro- 
duced a  lot  of  bushwhacking  ad- 
ventures, which,  while  they  ar  in- 
teresting enuf,  ar  hardly  pertinent, 
and  might  with  profit  hav  been 
cut  down  by  half.  In  fact,  the  book, 
while  being  interesting,  strikes  one 
as  being  very  much  in  need  of  a 
blue  pencil  and  a  thoro  editing.  462 
pages  and  an  appendix  is  consider- 
ably more  than  the  Monmouth  in- 
cident wil  stand.  There  is  no  love 
interest  in  the  story,  with  which 
to  carry  off  the  dryness  of  this  his- 
torical novel,  and  while  Micah 
Clarke  is  far  above  the  average 
novel,  it  does  not  equal  '  The  Refu- 
gees '  in  any  particular."  [Overland. 

857 
1685-88. 

AIMEE  [by  Agnes  Giberne:  Car- 
ter, 1872]  "  is  founded  on  the  per- 
secutions and  sufferings  of  the  Hu- 
guenots, and  givs  some  fine  ex- 
amples of  religious  heroism." 
[Hearth  and  Home.  858 

A  REPUTED  CHANGELING, 
[by  C.  M..  Yonge:  London,  Stock, 
1889.]  "  The  story  itself  presents  a 
pleasant  picture  of  the  home  life  of 
English  gentlefolk,  and  the  adven- 


tures of  sweet  Anne  Woodford 
(leading  her,  at  one  time,  to  be  an 
attendant  upon  the  baby  son  of 
King  James)  wil  fascinate  the  girl- 
reader,  who  enjoys  the  detail  of  the 
'  vie  intime '  of  queens  and  prince- 
lings."   [Critic.  859 

THE  HOME-LIFE  OP  ENGLISH 
LADIES  IN  THE  SEVENTEENTH 
CENTURY.  [Bell,  I860.]  "Among 
the  women  whose  lives  ar  selected 
to  illustrate  the  picture  ar  Mrs. 
Evelyn,  Mrs.  Godolphin,  Lady  M.. 
Boyle,  afterwards  Countess  of  War- 
wick, Mrs.  Baxter,  and  Anne,  Count- 
ess of  Dorset.  Besides  these  wo- 
men, whose  lives  and  characters  ar 
wel  known,  several  others  of  lesser 
note  ar  sketched;  and  copious  ex- 
tracts ar  given  from  their  letters 
and  other  contemporary  records." 
[North  Amer.  Review.  860 

1689. 

ORANGE   AND    GREEN    [by    G: 

Alfred  Henty:  Blackie,  1887]  "de- 
scribes the  heroic  defense  of  London- 
derry [1689]  as  conducted  by  a  hand- 
ful of  youths  against  the  wishes  and 
judgment  of  the  bulk  of  the  inhab- 
itants; there  was  little  fiting,  only 
a  long  blockade.  Again,  the  Irish 
had  the  best  of  the  fiting  at  the 
Boyne,  Aughrim,  and  Limerick;  if 
it  had  not  been  for  the  cowardice 
of  King  James,  who  ran  away  from 
the  first  and  fled  direct  to  Prance, 
the  issue  of  the  war  might  hav  been 
different.  It  is  true  that  this  im- 
pression is,  to  this  day,  entertained 
by  the  peasantry,  who  speak  of 
'  Shemus  '  coupled  with  an  unsav- 
ory epithet,  and  it  was  shared  by 
the  gallant  Sarsfield.  Mr.  Henty  de- 
nies to  the  Irish  the  praise  that  they 
wer  actuated  by  loyalty  to  their 
king,  or  attachment  to  their  religion 
—they  wer  really  fiting  to  gain  pos- 
session of  the  land.    [Athen.         861 


59 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


16S9-1792. 

SNARLEYYOW.  [by  F:  Marry  at: 
Colburn,  1837.]  "This  is  .an  ex- 
travaganza very  broad  indeed,  but 
extremely  amusing.  The  story 
would  seem  foolish  but  that  the 
handling  of  it  is  so  clever,  so  full 
of  humor,  that  the  reader  is  too 
much  absorbd  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  ludicrous  to  quarrel  with  the 
unnatural  plot  out  of  which  his  en- 
tertainment is  extracted.  The  prin- 
cipal actors  ar  a  tyrannical,  treach- 
erous, cowardly  captain,  a  compli- 
cation of  all  which  is  mean  and  ma- 
lignant,— an  il-conditioned,  il-tem- 
pered  mangy  dog,— a  half-starvd 
cabin  boy;  and  the  crew  of  a  king's 
cutter."    [Examiner.  862 

IN  THE  '15  [by  H.  C.  Adams: 
Hodder,  1893]  "begins  some  20 
years  earlier  than  the  '15  with  the 
battle  of  Killiecrankie.  The  story 
deals,  not  merely  with  a  great  his- 
torical event,  but  portrays  faithfully 
life  in  England  two  centuries  ago." 
[Saturday  Review.  863 

WAVERLEY.  [by  Walter  Scott: 
1814.]  "  Here  there  is  little  taken 
from  tradition,  tho  the  whole  story, 
otherwise  loosely  constructed,  is 
held  together  by  the  thread  of  his- 
tory. The  Chevalier  is  a  historical 
character;  a  young  prince,  who  be- 
lieved that  his  father  had  the  same 
right  to  his  kingdom  which  others 
hav  to  their  estates;  and  who,  if  he 
had  been  told  at  the  moment  of  in- 
vasion that  the  majority  of  the  na- 
tion had  a  right,  and  wer  disposed 
to  reject  him,  would  hav  replied 
that  this  question  was  the  one  to 
be  decided.  The  author  has  painted 
his  character  in  bright  colors,  and 
the  evidence  of  facts  bears  him  out 
in  so  doing.  It  is  not  surprising  that 
a  dethroned  and  discrowned  sovran, 
or  one  who  has  seen  that  hope, 
which  is  briter  than  a  crown,  de- 
ferred and  destroyed,  should  fall  into 


excesses  in  exile,  poverty  and  hu- 
miliation, to  which  in  better  days  he 
was  a  stranger.  This  was  evidently 
the  case  with  Charles-Edward.  In 
the  days  of  Waverley  he  was  a 
brave  and  romantic  young  adven- 
turer, who,  so  long  as  his  prosperity 
lasted,  possessed  the  attachment  of 
all  about  him."  [North  Amer.  Re- 
view, 1831.  864 

THE  TWO  ADMIRALS,  a  Tale 
of  the  Sea.  [by  Ja.  F.  Cooper:  Bent- 
ley,  1842.]  "  The  two  admirals  ar 
a  Pylades  and  Orestes,  the  course  of 
whose  long  career  in  glorious  war 
and  generous  friendship  has  never 
been  severely  troubled  til  one  of 
them,  Bluewater,  begins  to  perplex 
his  mind  with  the  Hannoverian  suc- 
cession. On  the  landing  of  Charles- 
Edward  [1745]  Bluewater  is  so  far 
influenced  by  his  Jacobite  sympa- 
thies as  to  hold  himself  apart  from 
an  action  with  the  French,  until  af- 
fection for  his  bi'other  officer,  rather 
than  duty  to  King  George,  hurries 
him  to  interpose  at  a  critical  mo- 
ment."   [Albion.  865 

THE  LAST  OF  THE  MACALLIS- 
TERS.  [by  Amelia  E.  (H.)  Barr:  N. 
Y.,  1886;  London:  Clarke,  1890.] 
"  It  is  a  pure  joy  to  turn  to  the  old 
familiar  methods  of  romance,  and 
the  romance  of  history,  as  they  ar 
illustrated  in  this  spirited  story  pf 
the  Highlands  during  the  '45.  '  The 
Last  of  the  Macallisters  '  is  decid- 
edly not  faultless.  It  is  disdainful, 
indeed,  of  historical  accuracy.  Nor 
does  the  story  respect  the  antiquar- 
ian spirit  in  the  least,  while  it  wer 
easy  to  point  out  that  in  several 
small  matters  the  author's  presen- 
tation of  life  in  the  Highlands  is 
incorrect.  But  it  is  the  spirit,  not 
the  array  of  dry  yet  accurate  detail, 
which  is  the  life  of  romance.  There 
is  no  want  of  atmosphere  and  color 
and  movement  in  the  story.  The 
Glasgow  lawyer,   whose  nativ  cau- 


60 


HISTORY :— ENGLAND. 


tion  is  constantly  struggling  with 
his  Jacobite  sympathies,  is  an  ex- 
cellent study,  while  the  chief  of  the 
Macallisters,  his  two  sons,  and  the 
rest  of  the  characters  ar  persuas- 
ively presented."  [Saturday  Re- 
view.]—" The  author  has  chosen 
those  exciting  days  when  the  clans 
wer  listening  for  the  word  to  strike 
for  the  last  [last?  Did  the  writer 
never  hear  of  'Henry  IX.'?]  of  the 
Stuarts.  To-day  no  true  Highland- 
man  speaks  of  Prince  Charlie  with- 
out a  tender  inflection,  and  the  ro- 
mance of  that  most  forlornly  heroic 
episode  can  never  be  exhausted. 
Mrs.  Barr  conveys  to  the  reader  some 
understanding  of  the  devotion  to  a 
name  which  commanded  to  the  last 
the  willing  sacrifice  of  '  heart  and 
hand  and  siller  and  land  and  life 
itsel'.'  Tho  her  semi-barbarous 
MacAllisters  and  roving  Romanys  ar 
hily-colored,  they  ar  full  of  nature 
and  life,  and  the  plot  in  which  they 
move  is  wel  knit  together.  Here 
again  she  has  drawn  one  character 
which  in  its  mixture  of  fire  and 
caution,  of  enthusiasm  and  wary 
self-interest,  is  peculiarly  Scotch. 
This  is  the  legal  adviser  and  friend 
of  the  hot-headed  MacAllister. 
Fraser  can  define  rebellion  and 
treason,  and  is  perfectly  familiar 
with  the  punishment  for  both  en- 
joined by  the  law,  so  he  declares 
that  the  gathering  of  the  clans  is  a 
finable  offence,  and  warns  the  Mac- 
Allister, '  Ye  maun  break  your 
ranks,  I'll  no  be  coerced  into  going 
for  Charlie.'  But  the  ranks  form 
and  fight  and  win  at  Preston.  The 
darlv  day  of  CuUoden  has  not  yet 
dawned  when  the  news  comes  to 
the  lawyer  that  young  Donald 
Fraser  had  died  for  Charles  Stuart. 
'Ah!'  he  says,  drily,  'he  oes  me  a 
thousand  merks,  but  I'm  glad  I  let 
him  hae  them.'  But  when  he 
hears  how  bravely  Donald  dies,  the 
old  man  forgets  his  gard  and  bursts 


out:  '  I  wish  I  had  made  him  take 
10,000  merks.  He  shall  hae  a  monu- 
ment, the  best  money  can  buy  him, 
that  shal  he.  Where  is  Charles 
Stuart  now?'"    [Nation.  866 

BONNY  PRINCE  CHARLIE,  [by 
G:  Alfred  Henty:  Blackie,  1887.] 
"  Ronald  Leslie  is  the  son  of  a 
Scotch  officer  who  has  fot  in  the 
'15,  has  taken  service  with  the 
French,  offended  the  Court  by  run- 
ning off  with  an  heiress,  and  paid 
the  penalty  of  his  offense  in  a  long 
imprisonment.  The  son  mixes  him- 
self in  Jacobite  plots  shortly  before 
the  breaking  out  of  the  '45,  escapes 
to  France,  makes  a  friend  of  Mar- 
shal Saxe,  and  after  a  variety  of  ad- 
ventures, secures  the  release  of  his 
fatlier  and  mother, — for  she  also  has 
been  imprisoned.  The  lad's  journey 
across  France  with  his  faithful  at- 
tendant and  his  hairbreadth  es- 
capes from  the  machinations  of  his 
father's  enemies,  make  up  as  good  a 
narrativ  of  the  kind, — the  limitations 
above  mentioned  being  understood— 
as  we  hav  ever  read.  Mr.  Henty 
can  tel  a  capital  story;  but  here  for 
freshness  of  treatment  and  variety 
of  incident  he  has  surpassed  him- 
self. It  would  be  unfair  to  say  that 
he  flags  in  the  second  part  of  the 
story,  where  he  gets  on  to  historical 
ground;  it  is  only  that  he  can  not 
move  so  freely.  Prestonpans  and 
Culloden  ar  familiar  scenes,  and  it 
is  not  easy  to  make  much  of  them." 
[Spectator.]—"  The  incidents  of  the 
battles  of  Dettingen  [1743]  and 
Fontenoy  [1745],  and  of  the  Pre- 
tender's romantic  march  from  the 
Highlands  to  Derby,  and  the  defeat 
at  Culloden,  ar  told  with  much 
spirit.  The  scenes  laid  in  France 
giv  a  vei-y  good  idea  of  the  lawless- 
ness prevailhig  during  the  middle  of 
the  last  century.  The  book  is  thoroly 
interesting,  and  the  historical  por- 
tions ar  skilfully  interwoven."  [Na- 
tion. 867 


61 


BOOKS   FOR  THE   YOUNG. 


WHITE  COCKADES  [by  E:  Ire- 
nffius  Stevenson:  Scribner.  1887]  "  is 
an  episode  of  Prince  Charlie's  wan- 
derings. His  fictitious  escape  from 
Windelstrae  Manor  and  '  bloody 
Cumberland's '  brutal  subordinates 
is  no  more  wonderful  than  wer 
many  of  his  actual  adventures 
during  the  six  months  when  he  was 
hunted  like  a  wild  beast  throu  the 
Western  Isles.  The  fidelity  of  the 
Master  of  Windelstrae  and  of  his 
young  son  is  but  one  instance  out 
of  hundreds  of  a  loyalty  and  devo- 
tion unparalleled  in  history.  Mr. 
Stevenson  tels  the  story  simply  and 
without  waste  of  words,  but  has 
not  been  quite  able  to  project  him- 
self into  the  spirit  of  the  time  and 
people.  Tho  his  work  lacs  the  per- 
sonal enthusiasm  of  his  namesake's 
'  Kidnapped  '  and  has  not,  like  that, 
the  very  smel  of  the  heather,  it  has 
certainly  the  merit  of  sympathetic 
imagination."    [Nation.  868 

OUT  IN  THE  '45  [by  Emily  Holt: 
London,  Shaw,  1888]  "  is  a  story  of 
a  Cumberland  family  of  girls.  It 
shos  a  good  deal  of  historic  research 
and  scrupulous  care  in  matters  of 
detail  affecting  manners,  customs, 
speech  and  costume.  The  sketches 
of  the  Jacobite  sisters,  tbeir  worthy 
old  maiden  ant,  and  their  Scottish 
relativs  ar  incisivly  drawn  and  pre- 
sented with  skil  and  distinction.  In- 
struction and  amusement  ar  clev- 
erly combined."    [Saturday  Rev.  869 

A  HIGHLAND  CHRONICLE,  [by 
S.  Bayard  Dod:  Dodd,  1892.]  "A 
pleasant  tale  of  Scottish  life  in  the 
time  of  the  young  Pretender.  There 
ar  a  number  of  different  threads  at 
the  stai't,  but  they  ar  woven  as  the 
story  progresses.  Gypsy  life  makes 
a  part  of  the  plot,  and  the  love- 
story  is  a  pretty  one,  with  no  more 
obstacles  than  may  serv  to  test  the 
lovers'  devotion.  Honesty  ('  barring 
a  little  shifting  for  a  living  '),  honor, 
devotion  and  loyalty— these  ar  cer- 


tainly more  agreeable  to  dwell  upon 
than  ar  their  opposits.  The  book  is 
as  fresh  and  sweet  as  any  Highland 
stream."    [Commonwealth.  870 

REDGAUNTLET.  [by  Walter 
Scott,  1824.]  "  In  the  rebellion  of 
'45,  the  head  of  the  family  here  de- 
scribed lost  his  head;  but  he  had 
married  an  English  woman,  whose 
property  descended  to  his  son.  The 
intrigues  of  bis  surviving  brother, 
who  adhered  to  the  Pretender's 
cause  and  strove  diligently  to  ob- 
tain such  control  over  his  nephew's 
person  and  feelings  as  to  make  him 
au  instrument  in  his  desperate  pur- 
poses, form  the  plot.  Prince  Charles- 
Edward  is  introduced  and  strikingly 
portrayed;  but  the  prominent  per- 
son is  Redgauntlet,  whose  extraor- 
dinary character  ia  powerfully  con- 
ceived and  executed;  and  the  subor- 
dinate actors  ar  all  quite  good  with- 
out being  remarkable."  [U.  S.  Lit. 
Gazette.  871 

1779-82. 

HELD  FAST  FOR  ENGLAND 
[by  G:  Alfred  Henty:  Scribner, 
1891]  "  is  a  spirited  tale  of  the  de- 
fense of  Gibraltar  in  1779-82." 
[Critic.  872 

1789-1815. 

MARMADUKE  MERRY,  the  Mid- 
shipman [by  W:  H.  G.  Kingston: 
Nelson,  1870]  "  furnishes  a  lively 
picture  of  life  in  the  navy.  The  hero 
is  captured  by  the  French,  goes 
throu  the  usual  amount  of  hard- 
ship, and  then  enters  upon  other 
adventures  of  which  a  full  and  racy 
account  is  given."    [Examiner.    873 

1811-12. 

THROUGH  THE  FRAY  [by  G: 
Alfred  Henty:  Blackie,  1885]  "  is 
a  capital  tale  of  the  Luddite  riots 
in  Yorkshire.  The  most  realistic  in- 
cidents are  '  strictly  accurate  in  all 


62 


ENGLAND:— LIFE. 


their  details,'  and  the  book  wil  in- 
terest most  young  readers."  [Ath- 
enaeum. 874 

CONTEMPORARY. 

THE  NEW  HISTORY  OF  SAN- 
FORD  AND  MERTON  [by  F.  C. 
Burnand:  Roberts,  ISSO]  "  purports 
to  be  'a  true  account  of  the  ad- 
ventures of  Masters  Tommy  and 
Harry,  with  their  beloved  tutor, 
Mr.  Burlow,'  and  is  a  lafable  bur- 
lesque of  the  real  '  History  of  San- 
ford  and  Merton,'  vphich  the  boys 
of  fifty  years  ago  used  to  read  in 
the  lac  of  anything  else,  and  which 
parents  and  gardians  then  looked 
upon  as  descriptiv  of  the  ideal  sys- 
tem of  boy  training.  Burnand, 
whose  contributions  in  the  line  of 
parody  and  burlesque  to  the  columns 
of  Punch  hav  made  his  name  fa- 
miliar to  lovers  of  humor  wherever 
the  English  language  is  read,  has 
been  particularly  happy  in  his 
'  new  '  history  of  the  adventures  of 
the  two  famous  boys  and  their  tutor. 
It  is  a  thoroughly  jolly  book,  and 
its  fun  is  of  a  sort  that  will  excite 
more  than  a  smile  from  the  laziest 
of  readers  even  in  the  hottest  days 
of  this  hot  summer."  [Boston 
Transcript.  878 

ERIC,  or  Little  by  Little  [by  F: 
W:  Farrar:  N.  Y.,  Carleton,  1859] 
"  is  a  story  of  great  simplicity,  in- 
volving the  features  of  English 
school  life.  The  style  is  pure,  the 
narrativ  well  sustained,  and  the  aim 
of  the  book  significant.  Simple  as 
ar  the  materials,  they  ar  wrot  with 
much  pathos,  shoing  the  il  effects 
of  flogging  upon  a  sensitiv,  hi 
spirited  boy,  who  has  been  accus- 
tomed to  honorable,  deferential 
treatment  in  the  home  circle.  '  Lit- 
tle by  little '  the  self-respect  of  the 
boy  is  broken  down,  and  he  is  pre- 
pared for  a  loer  range  of  associates, 
and  the  reception  of  obscene,  base, 
and    unmanly   ideas,    til   the   whole 


moral  fabric  is  degraded."  [Great 
Republic.  881 

COUNTESS  KATE  [by  C.  M.. 
Yonge:  Loring,  1865]  "  is  a  tale  of 
girlish  life  in  England,  carefully 
and  thoroly  written,  full  of  childish 
character  and  with  an  admirable 
moral.  It  aims  to  sho  the  superior 
efficacy  of  love  over  sternness  in 
dealing  with  a  spirited  child;  and 
is  thoroly  wholesom  and  truthful." 
[North  Amer.  Review.  883 

"CARROTS":  Just  a  Little  Boy 
[by  M..  L..  (S.)  Molesworth:  Macmil- 
lan,  1877]  "  is  one  of  the  cleverest 
and  most  pleasing  stories  it  has  been 
our  good  fortune  to  meet.  Carrots 
and  his  sister  ar  delightful  little  be- 
ings, whom  to  read  about  is  at  once 
to  become  very  fond  of."  [Exam- 
iner. 885 

MY  BOYHOOD,  [by  H.  C.  Bark- 
ley:  E.  P.  Dutton  &  Co.,  1878.]  '"'  The 
author  relates  his  adventures  with 
his  dogs  and  horses,  the  little  in- 
cidents which  occurred  in  his  sports, 
of  which  he  was  very  fond,  and  the 
peccadilloes  which  he  seems  to  hav 
enjoyed  with  a  becoming  satisfac- 
tion. The  scene  is  a  clergyman's 
family  in  the  eastern  counties,  and 
one  gets  by  the  way  characteristics 
of  the  community,  sketches  of  in- 
dividual peculiarities,  and  glimpses 
of  such  soberer  life  as  can  not  be 
kept  altogether  from  children's  eyes. 
The  ideal  which  the  book  wil  incite 
its  readers  to  reach  is  the  being  a 
ruf  rider,  a  strong  swimmer,  and  a 
dead  shot— an  out-of-door,  noisy,  ad- 
venturous existence."    [Nation.    887 

A  SEA  CHANGE  [by  Flora  L. 
Shaw:  Roberts,  1881]  "is  a  charm- 
ing story.  The  little  maiden  Marian 
is  rescued  from  the  ocean  in  night 
and  storm,  so  nearly  drowned,  and 
with  so  many  of  her  memories  gone 
from  her,  that  she  may  be  said  to 
begin  a  new  life.  As  the  story  goes 
on,  her  character  is  seen  to  be  very 
sweet  and  noble,  and  its  loveliness  is 


63 


BOOKS   FOR   THE   YOUNG. 


in  striking  contrast  to  the  persistent 
selfishness  of  the  young  girls  with 
whom  she  is  compelled  to  associate. 
In  the  account  of  Marina's  London 
life,  the  educational  forcing 
process  is  wel  described.  The  book 
is  interesting  throughout,  tho  the 
action  drags  in  the  middle,  and  is 
hurried  toard  the  end,  making  the 
denouement,  which  is  not  too  prob- 
able, seem  sudden  and  confused. 
But  the  story  as  a  whole  is  so  sound 
and  sweet  that  we  lay  it  down  with 
regret,  wishing  that  all  literature 
for  children  wer  as  pure  and  whole- 
som.  It  is  a  book  especially  suit- 
able for  girls."  [Nation.  SS9 
A  FLATIRON  FOR  A  FARTH- 
ING, [by  J.  H.  (G.)  Ewing:  Rob- 
erts, 1886.]  "  The  author  displays 
a  wonderful  insight  into  the  work- 
ings of  the  mind  of  a  lonely  and 
fanciful  boy,  and  it  is  hard  to  realize 
that  the  work  is  fiction  and  not  an 
autobiografy.  The  other  characters, 
the  nurse  and  the  rector  especially, 
ar  exceedingly  wel  drawn.  The  story 
is  true  to  life,  also,  in  the  sudden 
transitions  from  grave  to  gay,  and 
the    humor    of    some    passages    is 


equalled  only  by  the  tender  pathos 
of  others.  There  is  a  delicate  charm 
about  it  which  wi\  be  more  percep- 
tible to  the  old  than  to  the  young, 
but  no  boy  or  girl  can  read  it  with- 
out being  the  better  for  the  pure 
atmosphere  which  it  breathes,  as 
well  as  the  gentle  life  which  it  pic- 
tures." [Nation.  891 
SARA  CREWE,  [by  Frances 
(Hodgson)  Burnett:  Scribners, 
1888.]  "  The  story  of  an  od  child, 
who  was  left  at  a  fashionable  school 
in  London  by  her  papa  while  he 
stayed  behind  in  India.  At  first  rich, 
she  was  petted  and  left  to  do  as  she 
pleased.  Then,  of  course,  or  there 
would  have  been  no  story,  the  papa 
lost  his  money  and  Sara  became  a 
drudge  at  Miss  Minchin's;  and  then 
of  course  again,  the  Indian  gentle- 
man who  was  the  villain  at  first  that 
robbed  her  papa  turns  up  at  the  nic 
of  time,  makes  things  strait,  and 
reinstates  Sara  in  riches  and  happi- 
ness. The  story  in  its  outlines  is 
rather  conventional,  but  Mrs.  Bur- 
nett is  too  good  a  story-teller  not  to 
invest  it  with  animation  and  a  sharp 
sort  of  spirit."    [Atlantic.  893 


STOEIES  FROM  ENGLISH  HISTORY  FOR  YOIINO  AMER- 
ICANS [Harpers,  1892]  "i»  excellent.  The  most  salient  events 
of  English  history,  from  the  invasion  of  Caesar  to  the  present 
day,  ar  epitomized  with  considerable  skil  and  with  a  simplicity 
of  style  which  makes  the  narrativ  easily  within  a  child's  compre- 
hension. It  was  a  wise  thot,  and  quite  in  the  line  of  the  best 
methods  of  teaching,  to  scatter  throu  the  work  so  many  wel-selected 
historical  and  national  poems.  The  illustrations  ar  numerous  and 
usually  very  good."     [Atlantic.  894 

YOUNG  FOLKS'  HISTORY  OF  LONDON  [by  W:  H:  Rideing: 
Estes,  1884]  "is  rather  a  description  than  a  history,  as  the  his- 
torical portion  occupies  only  10  chapters  out  of  24,  the  remainder 
of  the  volume  being  really  a  guide-book.  An  historical  character, 
however,  belongs  to  aU  these  chapters,  and  they  abound  in  his- 
torical incident   and  reminiscence.     Both  parts    of  the  book  ar 


64 


GEOGRAPHY :— FRANCE. 

good,  being  written  in  an  attractiv  style.  It  may  be  heartily 
recommended."     [Nation.  895 

ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  EUROPE  [by  Hezekiah  Butterwortb : 
Estes,  1879]  "  introduces  the  youthful  reader  to  the  '  "Zigzag  Club,' 
an  association  of  six  boys  .  .  .  and  describes  the  trip  they  took  in 
England  and  France.  At  every  important  town  stories  ar  told 
relating  to  its  history  or  traditions,  and  the  book  is  profusely 
illustrated  with  spu'ited  and  effectiv  cuts.  The  plan  is  a  good 
one  and  is  w^el  and  entertainingly  carried  out.  As  a  specimen 
of  the  stories  told  we  wil  mention  '  The  White  Ship/  '  Joan  of  Arc,' 
'The  Wise  Men  of  Gotham,'  'The  Story  of  the  Dauphin.'  The 
inside  covers  contain  good  clear  maps  of  the  countries  visited." 
[Nation.  896 

THE  BOY  TRAVELLERS  IN  CENTRAL  EUROPE  [by  T:  W. 
Knox :  Harper,  1892]  "  describes  a  journey  throu  some  of  ihe  more 
interesting  parts  of  France,  Switzerland  and  Austria.  Consider- 
able space  is  given  to  a  description  of  a  reception  at  the  French 
Academy  and  an  evening  at  a  noted  salon,  in  which  few  young 
readers  can  take  an  interest,  while  places  to  which  boys  would 
naturally  go  ar  not  mentioned.  The  volume  is  wel  illustrated,  and 
has  maps  of  the  routes  pursued  conveniently  placed  on  the  inside 
of  the  covers.  If  it  had  an  index  it  might  be  useful  as  a  book 
of  reference,  since  it  contains  many  valuable  historical  facts  and 
short  biogTaphies  of  distinguished  characters."     [Nation.  898 

A  SUMMER  IN  NORMANDY  [by  Ellis:  Rout- 

ledge,  1878]  "  calls  for  a  full  measure  of  praise.  It  is  a  well-bred, 
motherly  account  of  an  English  family's  sojourn  at  a  French  fann- 
house  in  1870.  It  opens  with  a  glimpse  of  the  home  in  England, 
and  ends  with  a  description  of  a  Scotch  farm-house,  while  all  the 
rest  of  the  book  tels  of  the  quiet  life  across  the  Channel.  .  .  All 
this  is  a  useful  picture  of  French  character  to  set  before  boys  and 
girls."     [Nation.  900 

SHORT  HISTORY  OF  FRANCE,  for  Young  People  [by  E.. 
Stansbury  Kirkland:  McChu'g  &  Co.,  1878]  "is  composed  in  the 
way  in  which  a  history  for  young  people  6t  to  be  written.  That 
is,  the  author  has  aimed  to  present  a  consecutiv  and  agreeable 
story  from  which  the  reader  can  not  only  learn  the  name  of  kings 
and  succession  of  events,  but  can  also  receive  a  vivid  and  per- 

65 


BOOKS   FOR    THE   YOUNG. 


inanent  impression  as  to  characters,  modes  of  life,  and  the  spirit  of 
different  periods.  She  has  that  rare  quality  among  writers  of 
history,  knoing  what  to  omit;  and  appreciates  to  the  full  that 
fundamental  rule  for  a  writer  of  children's  histories — never  to 
giv  a  proper  name  or  a  date  in  the  narrativ  which  is  not  indis- 


pensable."    [Nation. 

THE  STORY  OF  VITEAU.  [by 
Fr.  R:  Stockton:  Scribner,  1884.] 
"  The  scene  of  the  '  Story  of  Viteau  ' 
is  laid  in  Bourgogne  in  1236.  At  the 
beginning,  the  younger  of  the  two 
sons  of  the  widoed  Countess  of 
Viteau  is  captured  by  one  of  a  band 
of  robbers.  He  finally  escapes  only 
to  find  that  his  mother  and  brother 
hav  been  obliged  to  flee  from  the 
officers  of  the  Inquisition,  which  has 
just  been  established  at  Toulouse. 
The  castle  is  then  taken  by  the 
robbers,  and  the  boys  go  to  Paris 
to  intercede  for  their  mother,  who 
is  accused  of  holding  heretical  opin- 
ions, with  the  young  King.  The 
story  ends  happily  with  the  recap- 
ture of  Viteau  and  the  destruction 
of  the  robber  band.  There  is,  it  wil 
be  evident,  no  lac  of  stirring  in- 
cident, and  the  interest  of  the 
reader  is  kept  alive  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end.  The  author  has 
wisely,  in  our  opinion,  refrained 
from  the  attempt  to  imitate  the 
speech  of  those  days,  and  all  the 
characters  talk  naturally  and 
simply.  It  is  a  thoroly  good  story, 
tho  of  rather  slight  texture."  [Na- 
tion.]— "  Mr.  Stockton  has  told  his 
historical  tale  with  simplicity  and  di- 
rectness, and  while  he  can  not  alto- 
gether lay  aside  his  drolery,  he  has 
not  allowed  it  to  dominate  in  his 
work.  One  discovers  from  this 
book,  if  he  has  doubted  it  before, 
that  the  author's  humor,  dry  and 
unintentional  as  it  appears,  is  really 
a  subtle  force  which  he  understands 
perfectly.  His  naivete  is  a  dis- 
tinct, measured  quality."    [Atlantic. 

930 


925 

THE  BOY'S  FROISSART. 

[Scribner,  1879.]  "The  editor  has 
made  out  of  the  famous  chronicles 
a  book  for  boys,  not  using  the  work 
as  material  for  new  stories,  but 
skilfully  excerpting  and  arranging 
Johnes'  translation,  so  as  to  make 
a  continuous  narrativ,  which  folloes 
the  general  divisions  of  the  original, 
and,  so  far  as  it  is  expedient,  the 
separation  by  chapters.  The  great 
bulk  of  the  selections  is  taken  from 
the  first  two  books,  from  the  first 
half  of  the  first  book,  and  in  the 
second  from  the  adventures  of 
Philip  Van  Arteveld.  From  the 
third  book  a  few  chapters  only  ar 
taken,  to  sho  Froissart's  personal 
adventures  as  a  chronicler  and  to 
giv  a  glimpse  of  the  Gaston  de  Foix. 
From  the  fourth  book  a  little  more 
is  given  recounting  the  crusade 
against  the  Saracens.  The  selections 
include  some  notable  passages,  such 
as  the  sea  fight  before  Sluys,  the 
taking  of  Calais,  the  battle  of  Poi- 
tiers, and  the  insurrection  of  Wat 
Tyler;  we  ar  sorry  to  miss  the  ex- 
ploits of  Bertrand  du  Guesclin  and 
much  of  the  details  in  the  disturb- 
ances in  Flanders,  but  we  think  the 
editor  was  judicious  in  giving  large 
blocs  of  Froissart,  rather  than  many 
isolated  fragments.  He  has  skilfully 
condensed  his  material  stil  further 
by  running  his  pen  throu  superflu- 
ous passages,  and  quickening  the 
fio  of  the  narrativ  by  this  means 
and  by  the  omission  of  episodes  and 
trivial  details.  He  has  not  troubled 
his  boyish  reader  by  notes  and  com- 
ments, wisely  trusting  the  book  to 
him  for  enjoyment,  and  concealing 


66 


HISTORY :— PRANCE. 


any  school-master  purpos  he '  may 
hav  had.  Our  only  doubt  is  if  he  has 
not  given  too  much.  Proissart  is  so 
very  leisurely  and  so  indifferent  to 
any  complaint  of  dulness  that  only 
here  and  there  would  a  young  reader 
be  found  to  march  throu  his  entire 
work.  May  it  not  be  that  even 
these  400  pages  wil  leave  the  reader 
too  satisfied?  We  should  like  a  boy 
to  rise  from  Froissart  hungry.  .  . 
We  welcom  most  heai'tily  so  sensi- 
ble an  addition  to  literature  for  the 
young.  Especially  is  it  a  good  thing 
that  American  boys  should  hav  the 
curtain  lifted  for  them,  and  a  glimps 
given  of  a  world  so  unlike  theirs  in 
outward  sho,  so  like  it  in  all  the 
essentials  of  life.  Here  is  scope 
for  the  imagination,  and  material 
upon  which  to  build  dreams  which 
ar  less  harmful  than  those  excited 
visions  of  heroism  in  real  life  which 
ar  fed  from  the  stories  of  impossi- 
ble adventure  which  make  so  much 
of  our  boys'  reading.  Under  the 
guise  of  these  romantic  scenes  lie 
lessons,  too,  of  chivalry  and  courage  . 
and  manly  virtue  which  wil  not  be 
overlooked  by  the  generous  boy. 
There  is  a  time  in  the  life  of  every 
girl  when  she  dreams,  and  if  she 
can  hav  Fouque,  her  dreams  wil  be 
enchantments  with  no  unwholesome 
wakening;  then  is  the  time  when 
her  brother  may  wel  be  set  to  read- 
ing Froissart  and  Walter  Scott." 
[Atlantic.]—*'  There  is  no  better  or 
more  healthful  reading  for  boys 
than  '  fine  Sir  John,'  and  this  volume 
is  so  handsom,  so  wel  printed,  and 
so  wel  illustrated,  that  it  is  a  pleas- 
ure to  look  it  over.  The  selections 
compriiLe  about  one-ninth  of  the 
work.  They  appear  to  hav  been 
made  with  good  judgment,  and  wil 
giv~  the  reader  a  tolerably  complete 
vue  of  the  14th  century.  We  hav 
the  battles  of  Sluys  (1340),  Crecy 
(1346).  and  Poitiers  (1356),  the  siege 
of  Calais  (1347),  the  career  of  Philip 

67 


van  Artevelde  (1350-82)  and  the  in- 
surrection of  Wat  Tyler  (1381),  as 
wel  as  some  incidents  in  the  revolt 
of  the  Jacquerie  (1358),  and  the  se- 
dition of  Etienne  Marcel  (1358). 
The  translation  is  Johnes';  the  edi- 
tor givs  as  a  reason  for  not  using 
the  '  stronger,  briter,  and  more  pic- 
turesque '  translation  of  Lord  Ber- 
ners,  that  it  would  hav  been  more 
difficult  for  his  readers.  In  this  he 
is  probably  right,  altho  it  seems  a 
pity.  He  has,  however,  done  a  very 
good  thing  in  appending  to  the  ac- 
count of  tlie  battle  of  Crecy  the 
same  in  Berners'  translation,  and 
also  in  the  original.  The  introduction 
is  excellent,  and  yet  we  fancy  part 
of  it  as  much  above  the  level  of  the 
readers  as  Lord  Berners'  diction 
would  hav  been.  That  is  to  say,  af- 
ter a  brief  sketch  of  Froissart's  life, 
and  some  sensible  words  to  boys 
upon  true  chivalry  and  what  it 
means  in  the  19th  century,  Mr. 
Lanier  goes  on  to  speak  of  Sir  T: 
Malory's  '  Morte  d'Arthur,'  its  or- 
igin in  the  chronicle  of  Geoffrey  of 
Monmouth,  and  a  comparison  be- 
tween the  chivalry  depicted  by  him 
and  by  Froissart.  The  comparison 
is  instructiv,  but  its  tone  and  its 
scholarship  ar  rather  above  the  av- 
erage of  boys."  [Nation.  935 
THE  LIFE  OF  THE  CHEVA- 
LIER BAYARD,  [by  W:  Gilmore 
Simms:  Harper,  1848.]  "  This  is  a 
very  pleasant  and  lively  history  of 
the  noble  and  gallant  Bayard  (1475- 
1524),  the  '  knight  without  fear  and 
without  reproach.'  In  reading  his 
adventures,  one  almost  fancies  he  is 
perusing  some  romance  of  chivalry, 
and  expects  to  read  of  some  giants 
overcome,  some  dark  magician 
foiled,  and  some  benevolent  fairy  as- 
sisting the  bold  knight  in  his  at- 
tempt to  release  his  distressed  dam- 
sel from  their  malignant  power." 
[Godey's  Mag.]—"  The  name  of  Bay- 
ard has  a  magic  in  it  which  apper- 


booe:s  for  the  young. 


tains  to  few,  even  of  the  most  emi-     printed,    iu    such    bold    type.     Mr. 


nent  characters  whose  deeds  form 
the  subject  of  histoiy.  Born  in  an 
age  when  the  feudal  system  totterd 
to  its  fall,  and  when  chivalry  was 
fast  folloing  in  the  footsteps  of  its 
parent,  the  glory  of  the  Round 
Table  seems  for  a  moment  to  hav 
revived  in  his  person.  It  was  but 
for  a  moment,  however,  and  the  last 
flickering  spark  expiring  with  him, 
it  resembled  in  its  death  struggle 
the  dying  dolphin,  illuminating  the 
siu-roimding  waters  with  the  bril- 
liancy of  its  unrivaled  colors.  He 
was  the  bravest,  the  most  generous, 
the  most  magnanimous  of  men;  lov- 
ing glory  for  itself,  seeking  danger 
that  it  might  ad  to  his  fame,  above 
all  mercenary  motivs.  Many  lives 
of  Bayard  hav  been  written,  the 
most  remarkable  as  wel  as  by  far 
the  most  graphic  of  which  is  that  by 
'  The  Loyal  Servant.'  It  possesses 
all  the  advantages  of  contemporary 
biography.  ...  It  strikes  us  that 
Mr.  Simms  would  hav  done  a  more 
acceptable  service  to  literature  had 
he  revived  the  English  translation  of 
this  book,  and  published  it  with 
editorial  notes."  [Southern  Lit. 
Messenger.  940 

THE  VERY  JOYOUS,  PLEAS- 
ANT AND  REFRESHING  HIS- 
TORY OF  THE  FEATS,  EX- 
PLOITS, TRIUMPHS  AND  AT- 
CHIEVEMENTS  OT^^  THE  GOOD 
KNIGHT  WITHOUT  FEAR 
AND  WITHOUT  REPROACH, 
GENTLE  LORD  DE  BAYARD. 
[ed.  by  E:  C.  Kindersley:  Longman, 
1848;  N.  Y.,  Dodd.  1884.]  "  This  is 
a  condensed  translation  of  the  cele- 
brated Memoirs  of  Bayard  pub- 
lished 3  years  after  his  death,  and 
supposed  to  hav  been  written  by  his 
secretary.  It  is  done  into  excellent 
English,  preserving  not  a  little  of 
the  quaint  simplicity  and  freshness 
of  the  original  French;  and  is  also 
very  quaintly  as  wel  as  beautifully 


Kinderslej^  does  not  rate  at  too  hi  a 
mark  the  merits  of  a  chivalrous  nar- 
rativ  which  has  kept  the  fame  of 
its  hero  fresh  and  unsullied  for 
near  3%  centuries.  '  Le  loyal  servi- 
teur '  has  worthily  vindicated  the 
character  he  assumed.  There  is  lit- 
tle doubt  that  he  was  at  the  side 
of  Bayard,  or  not  far  from  it, 
throughout  most  of  the  scenes  de- 
scribed; his  narrativ  has  generally, 
in  some  trifling  incident  or  other, 
the  touch  of  truth;  even  the  voluble, 
gentle  phrases  which  ar  continually 
heaped  upon  the  hero  ar  a  piece  of 
the  reality  of  the  time;  and  never 
was  a  fragment  of  genuin  history 
at  once  more  life-like  and  more  full 
of  romance,  more  joyous,  pleasant, 
and  true.  There  is  perpetual  sun- 
shine on  the  page,  even  in  the  midst 
of  danger  and  death;  for  the  heart 
of  the  true  man  and  chivalrous  gen- 
tleman is  made  buoyant  and  pre- 
dominant over  all.  The  various 
characters  so  vividly  sketched  in 
the  book,  the  loutish  German  soldier, 
the  vaporing  Spaniard,  the  hauty 
Venetian,  the  savage  Albanian,  be- 
come all  more  or  less  subdued  to  the 
nature  of  the  gallant  Frenchman; 
as  every  incident  related  in  it  min- 
isters to  his  reputation  and  glory." 
[Examiner.]—"  There  is  nothing  so 
healthy  for  boys  to  read  as  books 
which  present  the  portraiture  of  a 
noble  character;  and  if  King  Arthur 
deservs  to  be  placed  by  the  side  of 
the  Chevalier  Bayard,  yet  there  is 
this  difference,  that  he  is  a  fictitious 
character,  while  the  model  presented 
in  Bayard  is  that  of  an  historical 
personage.  This  book,  therefore, 
combines  the  heroic  features  of  the 
'  King  Arthur  '  Avith  the  historical 
value  of  '  Froissart.'  As  a  picture 
of  society  in  the  16th  century,  and 
a  narrativ  of  some  of  its  most  stir- 
ring events,  its  value  is  great.  The 
condensed    translation    is    excellent. 


68 


HISTORY:— FRANCE. 


thoroly  readable  for  boys  (to  wliom 
archaisms  ar  a  stumbliug-bloc),  and 
at  the  same  time  possessing  a  racy 
flavor  of  antiquity."    [Nation.      941 

1572. 

BY  FIRE  AND  SWORD  [by  T: 
Archer:  Cassell,  1885]  "  describes  the 
terrible  incidents  of  that  struggle  of 
the  Huguenots  which  lost  France 
forever  so  many  of  the  best  of  her 
sons  and  their  posterity.  It  is  wel 
worth  reading."    [Athenaeum.     945 

SAINT  BARTHOLOMEW'S  EVE. 
[by  G:  Alfred  Henty:  London. 
Blackie,  1893.]  "Philip  Fletcher 
givs  and  takes  not  a  few  hard 
knocs  on  behalf  of  his  Protestant 
kinsfolk  and  co-religionists  in 
France.  The  story  is  not  indeed  one 
of  Mr.  Henty's  happiest  efforts. 
The  adventures  of  Philip  culminate 
in  his  escape  from  the  Massacre  of 
St.  Bartholomew.  That  terrible 
scene  is  described  with  no  little 
force.  The  author,  when  once  fairly 
warmed  with  his  subject,  wields  as 
vigorous  a  pen  as  could  be  desired." 
[Spectator.  946 

DOROTHY  ARDEN  [by  F.  M. 
Callwell:  Nelson,  1890]  "a  story 
of  the  persecution  of  the  French 
Protestants  under  Louis  XIV.,  is  a 
good  example  of  this  class.  It 
takes  us  over  historic  ground  in  an 
agreeable  manner,  and  as  it  pays 
due  attention  to  the  facts,  it  enlarges 
our  kuoledge  of  the  time."  [Boston 
"  Literary  World."  950 

1793-4. 

IN    THE    REIGN    OF   TERROR. 

[by  G:  Alfred  Henty:  Blackie,  1888.] 
"  Harry  Sandwith  goes  to  dwel  in 
the  house  of  a  French  noble,  and 
the  principal  part  of  his  story  con- 
sists of  the  contrivances  by  which, 
with  consummate  boldness  and  skil, 
he  rescues  the  dauters  of  the  fam- 
ily from  the  fate  to  which  they  ar 


doomed.  When  the  party  ar  on 
board  one  of  the  vessels  which  is  to 
be  sunk  at  Nantes,  one  would  giv 
them  up  but  for  the  wel  known  vi- 
tality of  heroes  and  heroins.  But 
Mr.  Henty  is  equal  to  the  occasion, 
rescues  them  from  death  in  a  most 
ingenious  way,  and  brings  a  capital 
story  to  an  appropriate  end."  [Spec- 
tator. 955 
FOR  HONOR  AND  LIFE  [by  W: 
Westall:  Harpers,  1894]  "is  the 
story  of  a  very  youthful  gentleman 
of  the  heroic  and  ever-faithful 
Swiss  Guard.  A  survivor  from  the 
ruthless  slauter  of  his  companion-in- 
arms, he  seeks  one  place  of  conceal- 
ment after  another,  performs  many 
valiant  deeds,  and  has  various  hair- 
breadth escapes,  one  of  the  last  and 
most  thrilling  being  from  the  Con- 
ciergerie  itself.  It  is  a  tale  of  ad- 
venture pure  and  simple,  and  as 
such  is  fairly  wel  constructed  and 
told,  moves  rapidly,  and  is  never 
dul.  As  it  wil  prove  most  attrac- 
tiv  to  young  readers,  whether  it  be 
specially  intended  for  tliem  or  no, 
it  may  be  added  that  it  is  whole- 
som  in  tone  and  reasonably  accu- 
rate historically."    [Atlantic.        956 

CONTEMPORARY. 

LITTLE  ROSY'S  TRAVELS   [ 

N.  Y.,  Randolph,  1868] 
"  is  a  book  we  can  praise  heartily. 
It  is  an  account  of  a  very  human 
little  girl's  adventures  in  the  south 
of  France,  whither  her  father  and 
mother  took  her  to  gro  fat.  Parents 
wil  at  once  recognize  its  truth  to 
nature,  and  children  wil  be  the  bet- 
ter and  happier  for  making  the  ac- 
quaintance of  so  good  a  disobedient, 
kind-hearted,  merry  little  personage 
as  Miss  Rosy.  The  scenes  of  the 
story,  too,  wil  be  new  to  the  reader, 
and  the  book  wil  be  a  real  treasure 
to  whatever  girl  may  be  fortunate 
enuf  to  hav  it."    [Nation.  960 


69 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOIING. 


A  PARISIAN  FAMILY,  by  H. 
(G.)  DeWitt.  See  "  List  of  French 
Novels,"  No.  2199.  C960ra 

LADY  GREEN  SATIN,  [by  Bar- 
oness E.  Martineau  des  Cliesnez: 
Porter,  1873.]  "This  delightful 
fairy  tels  us  how  the  little  white 
mice  came  to  be  Lady  Green  Satin 
and  her  maid  Rosette;  how  Jean 
Paul  taut  them  to  perform  wonder- 
ful tries  on  a  small  white  board, 
which  he  called  his  theatre;  how, 
when  times  wer  bad  and  he  could  get 
no  more  money  by  exhibiting  Lady 
Green  Satin  among  the  Pyrenees,  he 
left  his  home  and  made  his  way  to 
Paris.  The  story  tels  us  how  af- 
ter many  days  the  little  fello  came 
to  the  great  city;  how  he  thot  he 
could  sleep  in  the  streets  and  found 
that  he  could  not;  how  he  gained 
his  lodgings  for  two  sous  a  night, 
and  then  went  and  came,  cold,  wet, 
hungry,  and  sometimes  very  happy 
because  Lady  Green  Satin  and  her 
maid  Rosette  had  performed  so  wel 
that  he  had  gained  good  friends, 
and  best  of  all,  had  gathered  many 
sous  to  send  to  his  dear  mother  and 
sisters.  The  story  is  charmingly 
told."    [St.  Nicholas.  961 

GRANDMOTHER  DEAR,  [by  M.. 
L..  (S.)  Molesworth:  Macmillan, 
1878.]  "  It  tels  of  some  English 
children  going  to  dwel  with  their 
grandmother  in  France.  The  au- 
thor's concern  is  with  the  develop- 
ment of  character,  and  seldom  does 
one  meet  the  wisdom,  tact,  humor, 
and  good-breeding  which  pervade 
this  little  book.  Thotful  girls  in 
their  teens,  and  even  their  rude 
brothers,  wil  hav  their  moral  sense 
quickened  by  perusing  it,  and  it  has 
the  rare  merit  of  being  suggestiv 
to  parents  without  becoming  a  story 
about  children  instead  of  for 
children.  There  ar  many  indica- 
tions that  the  personages  ar  copied 


from  life;  and  whether  they  ar  or 
not,  Mrs.  Molesworth  has  given 
them  an  individuality  and  consist- 
ency which  prove  her  literary  art 
to  be  not  inferior  to  her  kindly  in- 
sight and  sound  judgment  in  the 
management  of  the  young."  [Na- 
tion. 962 

ROSA  or  the  Parisian  Girl,  by  E.. 
(D.)  de  Pressense.  See  "  List  of 
French  Novels,"  No.  2235.  962k 

BELFREY    OF    ST.    JUDE.    [by 

Esme  Stuart:  S.  P.  C.  K.,  1880.] 
"  Miss  Stuart  has  a  great  gift  for 
writing  stories  which  ar  simple  and 
yet  out  of  the  common,  and  interest- 
ing to  children  as  wel  as  to  their 
elders.  The  Belfrey  was  an  old 
tower,  which  had  become  a  dwell- 
ing-house, and  held  two  families, 
whose  lives  became  closely  con- 
nected."   [Saturday  Review.         963 

MY  COUSIN  MISS  CINDER- 
ELLA, [by  Leon  de  Tinseau:  Apple- 
ton,  1884.]  "  No  pen  but  a  French 
one  can  make  such  a  sketch  as  this. 
Its  mingled  lightness  and  pathos, 
wit  and  simplicity,  cynicism  and 
tenderness,  ar  wholy  Gallic— also, 
may  it  be  said,  its  fustian  later 
pages?  The  story  is  of  the  slitest 
fabric,  beginning  with  the  account 
of  the  life  of  a  little  boy  reared  in 
an  old  chateau,  in  a  fossilized  group 
of  relativs  whom  the  child  vaguely 
thinks  of  as  '  ancestors.'  The  moldy 
life  of  the  household  vued  by  his 
childish  eyes  is  full  of  half-comic, 
half-sad  contrasts  between  crabbed 
age  and  youth.  His  relations  with 
his  '  enemy  the  gardener '  form  one 
of  the  amusing  touches  in  the 
sketch.  A  little  girl  cousin  comes 
to  dwel  at  the  chateau.  The  boy 
groes  up,  enters  school,  goes  to 
Paris  to  see  the  world,  and  meets 
his  fate  throu  a  mysterious  corres- 
pondence.   This    is    all    the    story, 


70 


GEOGRAPHY :— SWITZERLAND. 


which  is  more  charming  in  manner 
than  in  matter,  and  which  loses  its 
charm  after  the  hero  reaches  man- 


hood. One  wishes  that  he  might 
liav  remained  always  a  little  boy  at 
Vandelnay."    [Nation.  964 


THE  IGNORAMUSES  [by  M..  (Bradford)  Crowninsliield :  Loth- 
rop,  1887]  describes  in  detail  a  tour  in  Switzerland  made  by  the 
very  natural  and,  for  the  greater  part,  agreeable  children  whose 
voyage  along  the  Maine  coast  was  chronicled  in  "  All  Among  the 
Lighthouses  "  (No.  1500).  It  is  vastly  superior  to  compilations  like 
the  Knox  or  Champney  books,  because  the  characters  ar  alive  in- 
stead of  being  mere  puppets — trumpets  throu  which  the  author 
communicates  his  more  or  less  valuable  information.  As  was  said 
of  another  work,  "  there  ar  many  indications  that  the  personages 
ar  copied  from  life;  and  whether  they  ar  or  not,  the  author  has 
given  them  an  individuality  and  consistency  which  prove  her  lit- 
erary art  to  be  not  inferior  to  her  kindly  insight  and  sound  judg- 
ment in  the  management  of  the  young."  970 


AMONG  THE  MOUNTAINS;  or, 
the  Harcourts  of  Montreux  [by  A. 
G.:  Loudon,  1864]  "is  a  charming 
story,  very  nicely  told,  the  facts  re- 
lating to  Swiss  habits  and  customs, 
and  many  of  the  incidents  them- 
selves being  gathered  by  the  au- 
thor."   [Reader.  980 

HEIDI,  [by  Johanna  Spyri:  Bos- 
ton, Cupples,  1884.]  "There  is 
something  very  fresh  and  wholesom 
about  '  Heidi.'  A  little  orphan  who 
has  fulfilled  one  mission,  that  of 
humanizing  the  soul  of  her  mis- 
anthropic grandfather,  the  solitary 
Alp-dweller,  is  suddenly  sent  upon 
another — to  cheer,  and  ultimately, 
by  a  plausible  chain  of  circum- 
stances, to  cure  an  invalid  child  of 
wealth  in  Frankfurt.  In  the  end 
she  restores  '  the  Aim  uncle '  to  so- 
ciety, and  herself  becomes  the  heir 
of  a  childless  physician,  not  to  men- 
tion the  sunshine  she  brot  into  the 
life  of  a  blind  grandam  to  whom 
she  ministered.  No  lover,  except  a 
goatherd,  and  we  do  not  see  her 
wooed  or  happily  married.  The 
story   consists   in   the   evolution   of 


her  own  character,  and  its  influence 
on  those  with  whom  she  comes  in 
contact,  nor  wil  children  ask  for 
more.  The  book  is  full  of  the  Swit- 
zer's  delight  in  his  breezy  heights 
and  broad  vistas,  and  all  the  sights 
and  sounds  of  nature  awakened 
from  her  winter  sleep.  Humor  is 
not  Mrs.  Spyri's  forte,  yet  the  boy 
Peter  serves  very  well  as  the  clown 
of  the  narrativ,  and  the  heavy 
comedy  of  the  Sesemann  household 
detracts  little  from  the  general  ar- 
tistic effect."  [Nation.  984 
RICO  AND  WISELI  [by  Johanna 
Spyri:  Cupples,  1885]  "  ar  two 
charming  stories.  They  ar  tales  of 
peasant  life,  the  scene  of  one  being 
the  country  near  Bern;  of  the  other, 
alternately  Upper  Engadin,  and 
Peschiera  on  the  lake  of  Garda. 
Each  story  tells  of  an  orphan  child 
whose  sad  experience  of  sorro,  ad- 
versity, and  hard  work  is  finally 
britened  by  finding  a  happy  home, 
and  both  narrativs  ar  not  only  sim- 
ple and  touching  but  graceful, 
sprightly  and  delightful  as  wel." 
[Nation.  985 


71 


BOOKS   FOR   THE   YOUNG. 

THE  KNOCKABOUT  CLUB  IN  SPAIN,  [by  F:  Albion  Ober: 
Estes,  1889.]  "  The  author  is  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  task  of 
exploring  anew  the  quaint  cities  and  dusty  roads:  his  travels  in 
Mexico  and  the  West  Indies  as  naturalist,  historian  and  explorer 
had  filled  him  with  enthusiasm  for  his  theme,  and  given  him 
ample  preparation  for  taking  in  appreciativly  all  he  saw.  Accord- 
ingly he  and  the  '■  Judge '  di'op  into  this  enchanted  country  early 
in  March.  They  travel  much  on  horsebac  and  in  the  great  lum- 
bering Spanish  coaches;  they  peep  into  cathedral  cities,  cross 
ancient  Eoman  bridges  at  Sevilla  and  Salamanca,  visit  mity  aque- 
ducts lUve  that  of  Segovia,  prowl  among  the  cloisters  and  libraries 
of  the  Escorial,  and  dream  delightful  dreams  in  the  Alhambra. 
All  along  the  way  they  fall  in  with  queer  people  and  queer  advent- 
ures, visit  fantastic  little  towns  associated  with  the  name  of 
Colmnbus,  and  haunt  the  picture  galleries.  Here  they  come  on 
traces  of  Cervantes  and  Don  Quixote;  there  they  see  relics  of  the 
Inquisition;  yonder  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  attract  them  in  grand 
old  cities  like  Yalladolid  or  Granada.  Everywhere  old  times  and 
new  times  jostle  each  otlier  in  this  dreamlike  land  which  has  been 
in  a  revery  ever  since  Ximenes  died  and  which  is  stil  full  of  the 
story  of  the  Cid.  .  .  The  travelers  saw  Andalusia  and  its  'beggars 
glorified  by  Southern  sunshine,  and  Moorish  princesses  in  its  gold 
side  by  side  with  Mm-illo's  Madonnas.  Thence  they  slipped  into 
mysterious  Marocco  and  the  region  of  the  Great  Desert."     [Critic, 

990 

THE  STOEY  OF  SPAIN,  [by  E:  E.  &  Susan  Hale:  Putnam, 
1886.]  "We  wer  led  to  expect  that  younger  readers  would  get 
from  it  a  correct  and  wel  proportioned,  even  if  somewhat  meagre 
outline  of  the  history  of  the  country.  This  book,  however,  is  destitute 
of  all  historical  perspectiv  or  proportion.  The  romantic  side-lights 
ar  electric  lights ;  the  lights  of  history  ar  mere  tallo  candles.  Of  the 
390  pages,  exclusiv  of  the  table  of  contents  and  the  index — which 
ar  very  good — the  first  150  cover  the  period  to  the  establishment 
of  the  Moorish  power  in  the  8th  century;  while  the  four  centuries 
since  the  accession  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  a  period  which  in- 
cludes by  far  the  most  important  events  ia  the  history  of  Spain, 
is  '  done '  in  99  pages,  one-fourth  of  which  ar  occupied  by  pictures, 
poetical  translations  and  blank  leaves.     The  stories  of  the  Aben- 

72 


HISTORY :— SPAIN. 


cerrages,  of  Bernardo  del  Carpio,  of  St.  James,  of  Roland,  of  the 
Cid,  ar  told  with,  all  their  romantic  accompaniments,  altho  the 
authors  admit  that  '  the  historians '  deem  them  not  even  founded 
on  fact;  while  the  Armada — as,  indeed,  the  whole  war  between 
Elizabeth  and  Felipe  II.  is  not  even  alluded  to."     [Nation.     1000 


THE  CRAYON  MISCELLANY. 
[Carey,  1836.]  "The  matter  is 
deeply  interesting,  but  its  cliief 
beauty  is  beauty  of  style.  The  Con- 
quest of  Spain  by  the  Saracens 
[711-14],  an  event  momentous  in  the 
extreme,  is  yet  enveloped,  as  re- 
gards the  motivs  and  actions 
of  the  principal  dramatis  per- 
sonse,  in  triple  doubt  and  con- 
fusion. To  snatch  from  this  uncer- 
tainty a  few  striking  and  pictur- 
esque legends,  possessing,  at  the 
same  time,  some  portion  of  verity, 
and  to  adorn  them  in  his  own  mag- 
ical language,  is  all  Mr.  Irving  has 
done  in  the  present  instance.  But 
that  he  has  done  this  little  wel  it  is 
needless  to  say."  [Southern  Lit. 
Messenger.  1004 

THE  ALHAMBRA.  [by  Washing- 
ton Irving:  London,  1832.]  "The 
finest  compliment  ever  paid  to  Irv- 
ing was  by  Dickens,  when  he  said 
that  Irving  had  '  peopled  the  Al- 
hambra,  and  made  eloquent  its 
shados.'  Perhaps  no  one  of  his 
works  affords  a  more  universal 
pleasure  than  this  guide-book  throu 
the  deserted  corridors  and  magnifi- 
cent ruins  of  the  Moorish  palace.  As 
we  go  along,  the  past  revives;  the 
crumbling  pillars  of  the  delicate 
Morisco  architecture  ar  restored, 
with  their  entablatures  of  porcelain 
and  lapis-lazuli;  the  fountains  play 
freshly  in  the  morning  sunlight,  and 
we  may  almost  fancy  we  hear  the 
lutes  again  sounding  throu  the 
shady  courts  and  gardens  of  the  en- 
chanted place."  [So.  Lit.  Messenger.] 
— " '  The  peculiar  charm  of  this 
dreamy  palace  is  its  power  of  call- 


ing  up  vague   reveries  and  pictur- 
ings  of  the  past,  and  thus  clothing 
naked  realities  with  the  illusions  of 
the   memory   and   the   imagination.' 
In  this  sentence,   which  begins  the 
description  of  the  Court  of  Lions — 
one   of   the   courts   of   the   Moorish 
palace  of  the  Alhambra  where  '  the 
hand  of  time  has  fallen  the  litest,' 
is   contained  the   secret  of  Irving's 
philosophy,    and    of    much    of    the 
beauty    of    his    writings.      All    his 
prose  is  poetry,  for  he  sees  nothing 
as  it  is,  and  cares  little  for  anything 
as  it  stands;  he  values  an  object  for 
its   power  of   cheating   illusion — for 
the  dreamy  power  it  may  possess  of 
calling  up  vague  reveries  and  pic- 
turings  of  the  past:  with  him  naked 
realities     ar     poor     forlorn     things 
shivering   in   the    wind; — until   they 
ar  clothed  with  illusions  of  the  mem- 
ory   and    the    imagination    they    ar 
ashamed  to  be  seen.    Irving  is  the 
modern    Quixote,    who    goes    about 
covering   '  things    as   they   ar,'    and 
wrapping  them  in  the  pictured  gar- 
ments of  the  past.  .  .  Realities  when 
garbed  by  him  walk  in  silk  attire; 
harp  in  hand,  joy  in  the  counten- 
ance,   and  all    sorts   of   elegant  de- 
light in  attendance.  .  .  But  in  the 
writings  of  Irving  there  is  that  '  en- 
semble '    of    melodious   style,    senti- 
mental tenderness,  rich  association, 
and  perfect  placidity  of  temper,  and 
gentle  flo  of  intelligible  thot,  which 
calculates   him   for  the   place   of  a 
favorit   from    the   drawing-room    to 
the  cottage.    The  women  especially 
love  him,  and  the  men  gro  mello  as 
they   read;   sometimes    charmed   by 
his  '  fantasmagoria  of  mind,'  some- 


73 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOLTN'G. 


times  softened  by  his  gentle  yet 
gloing  pictures  of  waning  glory. 
The  Alhambra  is  a  fine  framework 
for  legendary  lore — connected  as  it 
is  with  the  most  romatic  portion  of 
the  European  annals,  and  invested 
by  time,  and  verse  and  history,  with 
scenes  and  characters,  and  fictions, 
innumerable  and  inexhaustible.  .  . 
It  is  a  fine  piece  of  composition: 
rich,  varied,  and  soft, — to  pass  over 
its  pages  is  like  treading  upon  a 
velvet  carpet  of  curious  pattern: 
thgre  is  not  a  word  which  is  not  a 
picture:  not  a  sentence  Avhich  is  not 
smooth,  deep,  yielding,  yet  springy." 
[Examiner.  1005 

CHRONICLE  OF  THE  CON- 
QUEST OF  GRENADA,  [by  Wash- 
ington Irving:  Putnam,  1850.] 
"  Every  lover  of  the  romantic  and 
picturesque  in  history  wil  heartily 
welcom  a  I'e-issue  of  this  charming 
Chronicle.  By  assuming  the  posi- 
tion of  a  contemporary,  he  is  en- 
abled to  exhibit  the  prejudices  of 
the  time  [1492]  Avith  almost  dra- 
matic vividness,  and  to  giv  events 
some  of  the  coloring  they  derived 
from  Spanish  bigotry  without  ob- 
scuring their  real  nature  and  im- 
port. The  beautiful  mischlevous- 
ness  of  the  occasional  irony  which 
peeps  throu  the  narrativ  is  in  the 
author's  liappiest  style.  The  book 
might  easily  be  expanded  into  a 
dozen  novels,  so  rich  is  it  in  ma- 
terials of  description  and  adventure. 
In  its  present  form  it  is  replete  with 
accurate  history,  represented  with 
pictorial  vividness. "[  Graham's  Mag. 

1008 

DON  QUIXOTE  DE  LA  MAN- 
CHA.  [by  Miguel  de  Cervantes 
Saavedra:  Lea.]  "Philip  III.  said 
when  he  saw  a  student  lafing  im- 
moderately over  a  book,  '  That  man 
must  be  either  out  of  his  Avits  or 
reading  Don  Quixote.'  ,  Certainly 
there  is  no  production  aa'c  hav  read 
so     provocativ     of     mirth     as     this 


strange  narrativ  of  the  feats  and 
follies  of  the  gallant,  the  hi-toned, 
the  visionary  Knight  of  La  Mancha. 
The  book  is  far  the  best  specimen 
Ave  hav  of  the  moc-heroic.  Almost 
OA^ery  adventure  of  the  Don  is  a 
comic  picture,  and  the  '  honest 
squire  '  amuses  us  as  no  other  ac- 
quaintance can,  save  Dogberry  or 
Falstaff.  And  yet  Ave  think  that 
those  AA'ho  look  on  Don  Quixote 
merely  as  an  amusing  satire  on  over- 
heated enthusiasm,  or  as  a  correctiv 
administered  to  a  vitiated  public 
taste,  hav  failed  to  catch  its  moral. 
It  is  at  once  the  most  ludici'ous  and 
the  most  mornful  of  all  personal 
histories.  The  spectacle  of  a  noble 
soul  thwarted  in  every  endeavor, 
a  man  of  acute  sensibility  exposed 
to  ridicule  at  every  turn,  deeds  of  hi 
emprise  ending  in  absurd  and 
Avhimsical  sallies,  can  not  fail  to  pro- 
dvice  a  sad  impression  on  every 
thinking  mind."  [Southern  Lit. 
Messenger.  1012 

THE  WHITE  COMPANY  [by 
Arthur  Conan  Doyle:  U.  S.  Book  Co., 
1891]  is  a  "  vigorous  and  interesting 
story.  The  White  Company  is  a 
body  of  English  archers;  and  the 
story  of  the  deeds  of  these  men  and 
their  leaders  is  interwoven  with  ac- 
counts of  the  Jacquerie  uprising 
[1358],  encounters  with  Du  Guesclin, 
and  the  Avars  for  the  restoration  of 
Pedro  the  Cruel  [I3G7].  The  au- 
thor's style  is  excellently  fitted  to 
his  subject,  and  his  sketches  of  the 
Black  Prince  and  of  the  famous 
French  and  English  knights  ar  ex- 
ceedingly vivid."  [Boston  "  Lit. 
World.'-  ClOl-4 

DICCON  THE  BOLD,  [by  J:  Rus- 
sell Coryell:  Putnam,  1893.]  "  Die- 
con  Avas  the  son  of  Tom  Hastings, 
Avho  died  fiting,  more  than  400  years 
ago,  to  make  the  Duke  of  Lancaster 
king.  Diccon  Avishes  he  might  go 
to  sea,  so  an  uncle  introduces  him 
to  .1:  Cabot,  Avho  makes  a  place  for 


74 


I^ISTORY :— HOLLAND. 

him  on  a  ship  bound  to  the  Mediter-  Columbus,  who  takes  him  with  him 

ranean;  but  the  vessel  is  sunk  dur-  in  search  for  the  New  World.    All 

ing   a   fight   with    Barbary   pirates,  this  is   told   in  so   matter-of-fact  a 

and    the    boy,    drifting    ashore    on  manner  that  it  seems  natural  enuf 

some  wreckage,  is  rescued  by  Span-  while  one  is  reading  it."      [Godey's. 

ish  Jews,  for  whom  he  is  afterwards  1016 


1705-7. 


able  to  do  a  good  turn  in  their  time 
of  sorest  need.  He  has  a  bad  quar- 
ter of  an  hour  with  the  Inquisition,  THE  BRAVEST  OP  THE  BRAVE 
and  escapes  throu  paralizing  the  [by  G:  Alfred  Henty:  Blackie,  1886] 
sanctimonious  crew  by  refusing  to  "  narrates  the  adventures  of  that 
lie.  Going  to  the  court  of  Spain  great  soldier  C:  Mordaunt,  Earl  of 
with  one  of  his  Hebrew  friends,  Peterborough.  The  young  recruit, 
who  wishes  to  buy  the  favor  of  the  pressed  for  the  war  throu  the  ag- 
impecuuious  King  Ferdinand  he  ency  of  his  employer,  whose  dauter 
sees  the  Grand  Inquisitor  Torque-  looked  on  Jack  too  favorably, 
mada  [1420-98]  without  being  favor-  worthily  earns  his  commission,  and 
ably  impressed  by  him,  and,  more  tels  his  tale  with  spirit."  [Athen- 
to  his  liking,  he  meets  Christopher  aeum.                                               1020 

THE  BODLEY  GRANDCHILDREN  [by  H.  Scudder:  Hougli- 
ton,  1882]  "is  a  clever  account  of  the  relation  of  Holland  to  old 
New  York,  and  to  the  Dutch  episode  of  the  wandermgs  of  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers — interwoven  with  a  description  of  Holland  at 
the  present  day.  It  is  interesting  in  the  first  aspect  and  graphic 
and  accurate  in  the  last — a  good  picture  of  modern  Dutch  life." 
[Nation.  1050 

THE  LAND  OF  I>LUCK  [by  Mary  (^lapes)  Dodge]  "  is  written 
in  the  bright,  entertaining  style  which  Mrs.  Dodge  always  com- 
mands, and  is  wel  fitted  to  rouse  an  interest  in  the  manners  and 
history  of  this  admhable  people."     [Nation.  1055 

HISTORY  OF  THE  NETHERLxVNDS.  [by  Alex.  Young:  Estes, 
1884.]  "  Mr.  Motley's  work  has  been  of  advantage  to  Mr.  Young, 
tho  he  makes  use  of  new  material  and  also  of  criticism  on  the 
earlier  work.  His  l>ook  will  not  suffer  in  one  respect,  for  its 
clearness  of  language  and  straitforwardness  of  style  ar  more  agree- 
able than  Motley's  hi  color.  It  also  brings  the  subject  to  date, 
and  altogether  one  would  liav  to  go  far  to  find  so  business-like 
and  interesting  a  history  within  the  limits  which  Mr.  Young  has 
set  himself.  It  is  a  pity  that  the  cuts  could  not  have  been  fewer 
if  they  wer  to  be  so  poor."     [Atlantic.  1060 

THE  GREAT  DUTCH  ADMIRALS,  [by  Jacob  De  Liefde: 
Routledge,  1874.]     "  History  could  not  wel  be  conveyed  in  a  pleas- 

75 


BOOKS   FOR    THE   YOUNG. 


anter  form  tlian  it  is  here.  De  Ruyter  occupies  of  right  a  third  of 
the  volume,  and  the  introduction  to  him  as  a  young  monkey  climb- 
ing to  the  top  of  the  spire  of  Flushing  cannot  fail  of  its  intended 
effect  on  the  youthful  reader.  This  admu'al  and  Cornelis  de 
Witt  particularly  recommend  themselvs  by  a  boyhood  which  is 
not  only  father  to  their  manhood,  but  is  at  the  same  time  thoroly 
boyish,  and  therefore  sure  of  the  sympathy  and  admiration  of 
boys  the  world  over.  The  author's  style  is  simple  and  familiar." 
[Nation.  1065 


THE  RHYHOVES  OF  ANT- 
WERP [by  Annette  Lucile  Noble: 
Presby.  Board  of  Pub.,  1890]  "  is  an 
admirable  tale.  The  heroism  of  the 
Dutch  Republic  is  portrayed  in  the 
story  of  the  perils  of  a  citizen's 
family  in  Antwerp,  and  in  the  siege 
of  Alkmaar.  The  setting  of  the  tale 
is  faithful  to  the  spirit,  customs  and 
conversations  of  those  days;  the 
characters  ar  wel  contrasted,  and 
enuf  wooing  and  wedding  is  inter- 
mingled to  satisfy  the  young  heart. 
The  introduction  of  Hans  Sachs 
[1494-1576]  into  the  tale  is  a  clever 
hit.  The  book  deservs  to  take  its 
place  among  the  best  of  our  his- 
torical stories;  it  is  neither  denomi- 
national nor  partisan  in  tone."  [Bos- 
ton "  Lit.  World."  1070 

WIND  AND  WAVE  [by  Har- 
riette  E.  Burch:  Religious  Tract  So- 
ciety, 1884]  •'  is  an  interesting  story 
founded  on  the  siege  of  Leyden 
(1574).  The  strong  religious  and 
party  feeling  between  Protestants 
and  Romanists  forms,  of  coiirse,  a 
principal  feature  of  the  story." 
[Saturday  Review.  1072 

A  TURBULENT  TOWN,  [by  E: 
Hoare:  S.  P.  C.  K.,  1884.]  "  Altho 
in  the  form  of  a  story,  it  givs  the 
historical  incidents  with  clearness 
and  accuracy."     [Saturday  Review. 

1073 

BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE  [by  G:  A. 
Ilenty:  Blackie.  1889]  "is  full  of 
historical  facts  put  forward  in  the 


form  of  a  story.  .  .  Mr.  Henty  has 
certainly  surpassed  himself  in  the 
interesting  manner  in  which  he  has 
set  forth  his  tale  of  the  rise  of  the 
Dutch  Republic."  [Saturday  Re- 
view. 1075 

BY  ENGLAND'S  AID  [by  G:  A. 
Henty:  Blackie,  1890]  "is  a  story 
of  the  last  years  of  the  Dutch  War 
of  Independence.  .  .  The  Armada 
(1588),  the  capture  of  Breda  (1590), 
the  siege  of  Ostend,  the  conquest  of 
Cadiz  by  Vere  and  Ralegh  (1596), 
ar  among  the  great  military  and 
naval  enterprises  described  in  this 
eventful  chronicle.  The  story  is 
told  with  great  animation,  and  the 
historical  material  is  most  effectivly 
combined  with  an  excellent  plot. 
The  maps  and  woodcuts  ar  good." 
[Saturday   Review.  107G 

HANS  BRINIvER,  or  the  Silver 
Skates  [by  M..  E..  (Mapes)  Dodge: 
N.  Y.,  O'Kane,  1866;  Low,  1867]  "  is 
a  charming  domestic  story  which  is 
addressed,  indeed,  to  young  people, 
but  which  may  be  read  with  pleas- 
ure and  profit  by  their  elders.  It 
contains  two  things,— a  series  of 
life-like  pictures  of  an  interesting 
country  and  of  the  od  ways  and  pe- 
culiarities and  homely  virtues  of  its 
inhabitants;  and  then,  interwoven 
with  these,  a  simple  tale,  now  pa- 
thetic, now  amusing,  and  carrying 
with  it  wholesom  influences  on  the 
young  heart  and  mind."  [Atlantic] 
— "  This  pleasant  story  before  us  af- 


76 


HISTORY:— GERMANY. 


fords  glimpses  of  the  natioual  char- 
acter and  inner  life  of  the  Holland- 
ers, and  the  author  contrives  with- 
out interrupting  the  narrativ  too 
much,  to  allude  to  several  topics  of 
historical  and  topographical  inter- 
est, more  especially  to  that  peren- 
nial war  which  Holland  wages 
against  the  mity  ocean,  and  the  in- 
genious tactics  and  unflagging  reso- 
lution with  which  it  is  carried  on. 
The  story  itself  is  agreeable  and  full 
of  good  feeling,  with  occasional 
flashes  of  humor.  The  grand  skat- 
ing match  of  school-boys  and  school- 
girls is  an  eminently  national  scene, 
portrayed  with  a  spirit  and  hearti- 
ness which  wil  make  all  youthful 
readers  long  to  cross  the  German 
Ocean  and  enter  themselvs  for  the 
'Silver  Skates'  forthwith."  [Ath- 
enaeum. 1090 

SIEGFRIED,  THE  DRAGON 
SLAYER,  Heroic  Life  and  Exploits 
of  [Cundall  and  Bogue.  1848]  "  wil 
send  j^oung  and  old  to  the  grand 
times  of  heroic  personal  adventure, 
when  the  age  of  chivalry  was  but 
beginning.  These  exploits  of  Sieg- 
fried form  a  fragment  of  the  Nie- 
beluugen-Lied,  that  celebrated  cycle 
of  the  romance  of  early  Germany. 
The  narrativ  is  told  in  a  clear,  vig- 
orous style,  as  if  every  sentence  wer 
meant  to  tel  like  one  of  the  hero's 
sword  strokes;  but  its  simplicity  by 
no  means  takes  away  from  the  ef- 
fect of  the  marvels  related.  Kaul- 
bach's  illustrations  ar  in  excellent 
keeping."    [Examiner.  1110 

THE  STORY  OF  ROLAND,  [by 
Ja.  Baldwin:  Scribner,  1883.]  "  The 
hero  is  not  always  in  the  foreground, 
and,  such  as  the  legends  and  the 
poets  have  lepresented  him.  would 
not  hav  flUed  out  the  scheme  of 
this  plump  book.  So  beside  him 
figure  his  brother  warriors,  with  his 
king  and  imcle,  and  the  book  might 
nearly    as    wel     hav    been     called 


'  Charlemagne  and  his  Knights.' 
Mi-.  Baldwin  has  culled  from  a  wide 
range  of  epics,  French,  Italian,  and 
German,  and  has  once  more  proved 
his  aptitude  as  a  story-teller  for  the 
yoimg,  while  conveying  information 
for  which  many  of  their  elders  wil 
be  thankful.  As  in  the  previous 
work,  notes,  grouped  as  an  appen- 
dix, elucidate  the  narrativ  and  point 
to  its  sources."    [Nation.  1112 

WITH  SCRIP  AND  STAFF  [by 
Ella  W.  Peattie:  Randolph]  "is  a 
story  of  the  German  portion  of  the 
Children's  Crusade  [1212],  rather 
prettily  told,  but  too  painful,  we 
think,  for  the  little  folk  for  whom 
it  is  written.  A  word  on  the  rea- 
sons why  the  Crusaders'  enter- 
prise, throu  its  dependence  on  the 
violently  miraculous  answer  of  God 
to  its  petitions,  was  doomed  to  fail- 
ure, altho  undertaken  in  a  spirit  of 
faith  and  sacrifice,  might  hav  been 
added  with  advantage.  To  the 
childish  mind,  the  book  would,  as 
it  stands,  prove  an  admirable  ar- 
gument for  not  believing  in  the  ef- 
ficacy of  saying  one's  prayers."  [At- 
lantic. 1115 

OTTO  OF  THE  SILVER  HAND 
[by  Howard  Pyle:  Scribner,  1888] 
"  is  a  tale  of  robber  barons  and  holy 
monks,  of  peaceful  cloistered  days, 
and  wild  nights  of  fire  and  blood; 
a  tale  of  incident  which  would  be 
thrilling  if  only  the  actors  had  a 
little  more  vitality  in  them.  They 
play  their  parts  spiritedly  enuf,  kil 
and  ar  killed,  bless  and  curse,  and 
love  and  ar  made  love  to  in  a  quite 
lively  and  satisfactory  manner  as 
long  as  they  ar  on  the  scene,  but 
they  never  come  to  life  and  walk 
oft"  about  their  own  business;  one 
feels  that  between  their  exits  and 
their  entrances  they  ar  lying  quite 
peacefully  in  their  box  doing  noth- 
ing, and  that  when  the  curtain  is 
rung  down,  a  little  change  of  paint 


77 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


and  costume  wil  fit  them  for  other 
parts  to  come."  [Nation.]—"  Is  full 
of  fiting,  foraging,  the  rule  of  might, 
and  the  '  simple  plan,'  in  which  the 
hero  and  his  father  pass  throu  sharp 
persecution  at  the  hands  of  a  nebor- 
ing  baron.  The  fortunes  of  Otto  ar 
powerfully  told,  and  the  story 
throughout  is  exciting  and  interest- 
ing. Mr.  Pyle's  drawings  ar  medi- 
aeval in  style,  and  possess  the  merit 
of  illustrating  the  text  with  excel- 
lent force  and  fidelity."  [Saturday 
Review.  1118 

MAX,  FRITZ,  AND  HOB.  [by  C. 
R.  Coleridge:  National  Soc,  1892.] 
"  We  can  hardly  imagin  a  story 
which  wil  giv  children  greater  pleas- 
ure than  this.  The  scene  is  in  the 
Bavarian  Highlands,  with  an  old 
castle  buried  in  forests  as  a  delight- 
ful bacground  to  the  history  of  some 
young  people.  The  friendship  be- 
tween Max  and  his  queer  little 
cousin  is  something  very  fresh  and 
touching.  The  young  baron.  Max, 
is  a  charming  and  dignified  charac- 
ter, and  the  book  is  not  without 
charm  and  happy  description." 
[Spectator.  1125 

THE  BOYHOOD  OF  LUTHER, 
[by  H:  May  hew:  Low,  1863.]  "  Apart 
from  its  merits  as  an  account  of  the 
circumstances  under  which  Luther's 
boyhood  may  be  supposed  to  hav 
been  passed,  it  is  very  interesting 
as  a  minutely  stippled  picture  of 
peasant  life  in  the  IGth  century. 
The  author  evidently  has  a  keen  ap- 
preciation of  the  socialities  of  Ger- 
man domestic  life,  and  his  descrip- 
tions of  it  ar  not  the  less  pleasant 
because  clothed  in  mediaeval  dress." 
[Parthenon.  1127 

JOHN  FREDERIC  THE  MAG- 
NANIMOUS [London,  Dean,  1860] 
"  is  the  story  of  the  Elector  of  Sax- 
ony, so  remarkable  for  his  great  vir- 
tues and  his  many  misfortunes;  for 
his  heroic  championship  of  the  Pro- 


testant faith;  and  his  heroic  equan- 
imity both  in  prosperity  and  in  cap- 
tivity. From  its  hi  moral  lessons, 
no  story  could  be  more  likely  to  be 
serviceable  to  the  young,  while  its 
stirring  incidents  and  dramatic  ef- 
fect ar  peculiarly  calculated  to  rivet 
the  attention."    [Lit.  Gazette.    1129 

1618-48. 

PHILIP      ROLLO.      [by     James 
Grant  (t,  1887),  London,  1854.]  "  Ro- 
mance  and   history   ar   dexterously 
blended  in  these  picturesque  pages, 
and    in   one   type   of   character   the 
vivacious  force  of  the  author's  pre- 
sentment admits  no   dispute.      The 
soldier  of  fortune  plays  a  dashing 
and    conspicuous    part    in    his    best 
work,   and  is  portrayed   with   true 
creativ  intensity,  as  becomes  the  ro- 
mancer nourished  in  the  school  of 
Scott  and  Dumas.    Nor  is  his  treat- 
ment of  history  such  as  to  damp  the 
fine  enthusiasm  aroused  by  the  ex- 
uberant spirit  of  adventure  and  the 
romantic    fervor,    as    of    ever-victo- 
rious   youth,    which    animates    the 
rich  and  varied  action  of  his  more 
stirring  stories.    There  is  plenty  of 
evidence  that    he   was   patient  and 
keen  in  historical  research,  but  his 
use  of  the  material  was  consistently 
sound  and  artistic,  being  broadly  ap- 
plied for  purposes  of  local  or  chrono- 
logical color,  and  never  a  pedantic 
display  of  antiquarian  detail.      The 
portraits    of    Tilly    (1559-1632)    and 
Wallenstein  (1583-1634),  in  the  most 
elaborate  of  Grant's  novels,  can  not, 
of  course,  be  classed  in  the  first  rank 
of  historical  portraiture.    The  great 
captains  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War 
ar,   however,   broadly  and  skilfully 
presented   in  the   lurid   atmosphere 
of  his  spirited  and  graphic  romance; 
the    descriptions    of    camp-life,    of 
forays,    assaults    and    sackings    ar 
often  brilliant,  while  the  hero  is  one 
of  the  happiest  examples  of  bravery 


78 


HISTORY :— AUSTRIA. 


and  splendid  fortune  which  hav  de- 
lited  lovers  of  romance."  [Saturday 
Review.  1135 

IN  THE  DAYS  OP  MOZART,  [by 
Lily  Watson:  Religious  Tract  Soc, 
1891.]  "  Mozart  (1750-91)  appears 
as  the  precocious  clilld  and  lad  who 
astonished  Germany  by  his  early 
genius.  The  hero  is  a  young  music- 
ian unknown  to  fame,  who  leaves 
his  home  sooner  than  sacrifice  his 
great  ambition,  and  dies  before  he 
reaches  it.  He  makes  an  interest- 
ing figure,  as  does  also  his  sister 
and  protector,  Elsa.  All  the  acces- 
sories of  the  story  ar  very  wel  put 
in.  Maria  Theresia  (1717-80),  kindly 
but  imperious;  the  lovely  INIarie- An- 
toinette (1755-93),  for  w^hom  the 
young  magician  cherishes  a  roman- 
tic passion;  the  foppish  minister, 
Kaunitz  (1711-94);  and  the  calm,  be- 
nevolent Haydn  (1732-1S09)  with 
his  evenly  balanced  mind,  so  happily 
free  from  the  common  defects  of  the 
artistic  temperament, — these  go  to 
make  up  an  excellent  little  '  com- 
pany '  for  the  drama  Avhich  this 
very  pleasing  story  unfolds  for  us." 
[Spectator.  1145 

1837. 

A  NEW  EXODUS  [by  Catherine 
Ray:  Nis"bet,  1887]  "takes  us  away 
to  Tirol  and  treats  of  the  oppression 
and  sufferings  of  the  Protestants  in 
1837.  Private  and  peculiar  griefs  ar 
mingled  with  the  great  common 
wrong;  the  tone  is  sad,  yet  the  book 
is  not  lacking  in  bright  touches.  The 


development  of  Bertha's  character 
is  admirably  portrayed."  [Athen- 
aeum. 1155 

CONTEMPORARY. 

BUSY  HANDS  AND  PATIENT 
HEARTS.  [by  Gustav  Nieritz: 
Jackson,  1SG3.]  "  We  do  not  kno 
the  author's  name  as  that  of  a 
celebrated  story-teller,  but  his  '  Busy 
Hands '  we  shal  not  soon  forget. 
The  bright  little  ]\Iagda,  the  sup- 
port of  her  rheumatic  old  mother 
and  blind  brother,  is  as  pretty  and 
helpful  a  Christmas  picture  as  we 
ever  set  eyes  on;  while  good  Master 
Tanzer's  and  Mr.  Gloaming's  kind- 
ness to  the  poor  afflicted  ones  wil 
lead  old  and  young  at  Christmas 
time  to  think  whose  hearts  and  lot 
they  can  make  blither  and  liter 
ere  tlie  New  Year  is  rung  in.  We 
wil  not  tell  the  story  of  the  book, 
but  beg  our  readers  who  hav  chil- 
dren to  read  it  to  them."    [Reader. 

1160 

STORIES  FROM  GERMANY  [by 
Frank  Hoffman:  Hodder  &  Stough- 
ton,  1SG8]  "  ar  translations  of  the 
two  charming  tales  '  Gold-seekers 
and  Bread-winners,'  by  Franz  Hoff- 
man, and  '  The  Cobbler,  the  Clerk, 
and  the  Lawyer  of  Liebstein,'  by 
Nieritz."    [London  Review.         1162 

GRETCHEN'S  .TOYS  AND  SOR- 
ROWS, by  "C.  Halm."  See  "List 
of  German  Novels,"  No.  2420.  C1170 

PYTHIA'S  PUPILS,  by  "  Eva 
Hartner."  See  "  List  of  German 
Novels,"  No.  2500.  C1180 


THEEE  VASSAR  GIKLS  IN  TYROL  [by  E..  (Williams) 
Champney:  Estes,  1891]  "  renews  our  acqiiatatauce  with  tlie  merry 
peripatetic  trio  of  sweet  giii  graduates  who  for  some  10  years 
hav  been  '  abroad,'  in  England,  Italy,  France,  on  the  Rhein,  and 
elsewhere,  but  who  appear  to  be  perennially  youthful,  keen-eyed 
and  vivacious.  They  now  tel  us  of  their  adventures  at  Oberam- 
mergau,  Innsbriick,  Botzen,  Meran,  and  other  delightful  Tirolean 


79 


i;OOKS    FOR    THE    YOUXG. 

localities,  with  a  flying  trip  by  the  St.  Gothard  to  Lake  Maggiore. 
The  illustrations,  most  of  which  ar  excellent,  render  it  equally 
a  panorama  of  the  wild  and  romantic  region  the  lively  ladies 
traverse."     [Critic.  1190 

THE  BOY  TRAVELLEKS  IN  SOUTHERN  EUROPE  [by  T: 
W.  Knox:  Harper,  1893]  "  contains  a  large  number  of  wel  chosen 
and  generally  good  pictures  of  cities  of  Italy  and  southern  Spain, 
with  an  accompanying  text,  descriptiv  and  historical,  closely 
packed  with  information,  but  which  the  dreary  attempts  at  humor 
scattered  thi'ou  it  cannot  make  entertaining.  ...  It  should  also  be 
said  that  the  usefulness  of  the  book  for  reference  is  almost  lost 
for  the  lac  of  an  index.''     [Nation.  1200 

THREE  VASSAR  GIRLS  IN  ITALY  [by  E..  (Williams) 
Champney :  Estes,  1885.]  "  The  '  gii'ls '  ar  overtaken  in  this  vol- 
ume at  ]Milan,  and  ar  foUoed  by  way  of  the  Lake  of  Como  and 
Verona  to  Venice;  thence,  via  Padua,  Ferrara,  Bologna  and  Pisa 
to  Rome.  Two  or  three  chapters  ar  spent  here,  and  then  we  ar 
taken  on  to  Naples  and  Sicily,  with  passing  glimpses  of  Sorrento, 
Capri,  Paestum,  and  the  Baths  of  Baiae.  We  ar  sorry  to  hav  to 
say  that  the  'Vassar'  t^-pe  does  not  stand,  to  our  minds,  as  the 
hiest  type  of  American  girlhood;  but  the  author  has  toned  down 
the  type  somewhat,  and  a  dialog  which  might  be  offensivly  loud 
is  subordinated  to  descriptions  which  ar  pleasantly  quiet.  There 
is  a  good  deal  of  art  information  and  criticism  in  her  writing, 
and  maps  of  the  regions  visited  line  the  insides  of  the  covers." 
[Boston  "  Lit.  World."  1210 

STORIES  FROM  THE  HISTORY  The  very   simplicity   to    which   the 

OP  ROME   [by  ( )   Beesly:  Mac-  legends    hav    been    reduced    givs    a 

millan,    1878]    "  hits  a   Avant   which  nakedness  to  their  barbarity  which 

most  parents  hav  felt,  by  providing  we  trust  would  seem  repulsiv  to  cis- 

a  substitute  for  '  fairy  tales  and  the  Atlantic  mothers.    The  duel  of  the 

stories  of   nursery  life  '   wherewith  Horatii  and  the  Curiatii,  which  has 

to  amuse  children  from  four  to  six.  no    useful   lesson   for    19th   century 

But    her    aim    was    not    simply    to  children   of  any   age,   is   noticeably 

amuse,  and  she  selected  these  tales  unsoftened  by   this  process."     [Na- 

'  with  a  vue  to   illustrate   the   two  tion.                                                    1211 

sentiments    most    characteristic    of  TRUE  STORIES  FROM  ROMAN 

Roman    manners — duty    to    parents  HISTORY  [by  Alice  Pollard:  Grif- 

and  duty   to  country.'      A  bloodier  fith.  1892]  "  is  a  skilful  compilation 

collection  of  stories  could  hardly  be  of  wood-cuts,  illustrativ  of  the  Ro- 

made  from  Pox's  '  Book  of  Martyrs.'  man    conquests   of    Gaul,    Numidia, 

80 


HISTORY:— ITALY. 


Carthage,  and  the  East,  and  of  the 
great  military  leaders  of  victorious 
Rome."  [Saturday  Review.  1212 
THE  STORY  OF  ROME,  [by 
Arthur  Gilman.]  To  be  avoided. 
See  "  Novels  of  Ancient  Life,"  No. 
58.  C1213 

THE  SEVEN  KINGS  OF  THE 
SEVEN  HILLS,  [by  Caroline  (But- 
ler) Laing.]  To  be  avoided.  See 
"  Novels  of  Ancient   Life,"   No.  59. 

C1214 
TWO  THOUSAND  YEARS  AGO, 
by  A.   J:   Church.    See  "Novels  of 
Ancient  Life,"  No.  170  C1215 

TO  THE  LIONS  [by  Alfred  J: 
Church:  Putnam,  1889]  "  brings  be- 
fore us  the  Rome  of  112  A.  D.  The 
canvas  is  full  of  figures  pictur- 
esquely drawn,  and  abounds  in  ani- 
mation and  incident.  Plinius  the 
Younger  and  Tacitus  ar  characters 
In  these  moving  pages,  which  re- 
volv  about  the  heroic,  halo-encircled 
forms  of  the  twin  sisters  Rhoda  and 
Cleona  and  their  lives  and  loves. 
Bithynia  and  its  wild  mountains, 
Nikaia  and  its  Greeks  and  Romans, 
Ephesos  and  its  '  wild  beasts,'  ar 
the  bacground  against  which  the 
tragedy  plays."  [Critic.]—"  It  en- 
ters thoroly  into  the  spirit  of  the 
time;  it  is  fascinating  from  begin- 
ning to  end;  it  is  devout  in  spirit; 
it  has  finely  delineated  characters — 
including  the  younger  Plinius—  and 
is  a  noble  tho  pathetic  story."  [Bos- 
ton "  Lit.  World."  383— C1216 
A  DAY  IN  ANCIENT  ROME, 
translated  by  E.  S.  Shumway.  See 
"  Novels  of  Ancient  Life,"  No.  195. 

C1217 

PICTURES  FROM  ROMAN  LIFE 

AND    STORY,    by    A.    J:    Church. 

See  "  Novels  of  Ancient  Life,"  No. 

215.  1218 

As  collateral  reading:— 

SKETCHES    OF    THE    DOMES- 
TIC    MANNERS     OF     THE     RO- 


MANS [Phira,   1822]   "  has  not  the 
form  of  a  novel  or  a  book  of  travels, 
but  from   the   general  liveliness  of    • 
the  style  and  its  occasional  wit  and 
satire    is    as    entertaining    as    most 
tales    and    travels.      '  It    has    often 
been    remarked,'    says    the    author, 
'  among    all    the    labored    volumes 
which  hav  been  written  on  the  sub- 
ject  of  the   antiquities   of  the   Ro- 
mans we  possess  no  compendious  ac- 
count   of    their    domestic    customs; 
and  that,  altho  every  wel-educated 
person   is    acquainted   with   Roman 
history,    but   few    hav   an  accurate 
idea  of  Roman  manners.      It  is  in- 
deed only  to  be  acquired  by  toiling 
throu    a    variety    of    authors,    with 
which  the  generality  of  readers  ar 
but  imperfectly  acquainted;  and  la- 
dies, in  particular,  ar  deterred  from 
the  study  by  tlie  classical  allusions 
and  the  learned  quotations  in  which 
the  subject  has  been  usually  devel- 
oped.   It  therefore  occurred  to  the 
author  that  a  concise  account  of  the 
state    of    society,    clothed    in    plain 
language,  divested,  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, of  Latin  terms,  and  pruned  of 
all    subjects    which    offend    against 
delicacy,  could  not  fail  to  be  service- 
able.'   The  distinctness  and  method 
observd    throughout    the    look    im- 
press    the    facts     and    statements 
strongly  upon  the   memory,   and   if 
we   consider    how   much   better   we 
remember  that  by  which  our  atten- 
tion is  excited  than  that  which  fa- 
tigues us,  it  is  hardly  too  much  to 
say  that  most  readers  may  be  taut 
as  much  by  this  little  volume  as  by 
Dr.  Adams'  heavy  work.    Moreover, 
we  find  here  a  much  more  minute 
and  exact  account  of  a  part  of  this 
subject  than  is  to  be  gathered  from 
the  usual  compends  of  Roman  an- 
tiquities,  and  that  is  the  domestic 
economy  of  the  Romans,— their  in- 
door life  and  manners."  [Theophilus 
Parsons  in  N.  A.  Review.  C1219 


81 


I'.OOKt-'    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


THE  FRIVATE  LIFE  OF  THE 
ROMANS,  [by  Harriet  Waters  Pres- 
ton aud  L..  Dodge:  Boston,  Leach, 
1894.]  "  The  subjects  of  the  chap- 
ters ar  the  Family  the  House  and 
Every-day  Life;  Cliildren,  Slaves, 
Guests,  etc.;  Food  and  Clothing;  Ag- 
riculture; and  Travel  and  Amuse- 
ments. The  book,  in  spite  of  its  con- 
densed treatment,  is  no  mere  mar- 
shaling of  facts;  it  is  readable,  in- 
teresting, and  in  the  main  trust- 
worthy. It  deservs  a  place  in  the 
librai-y  of  every  classical  school,  es- 
pecially as  it  stands  alone  [?]  in  its 
tield."    [Nation.  C1220 

RIENZI,  the  Last  of  the  Tribunes, 
[by  Baron  Lytton:  Phil'a,  Carey 
and  A.  Hart,  1S3G.]  "  The  principal 
characters  ar  Rienzi— Walter  de 
Montreal,  one  of  the  formidable 
freebooters,  who  at  the  head  of  large 
'  companies  '  invaded  States  and  pil- 
laged towns  at  the  period  of  Ri- 
enzi's  revolution— Petrarca— Irene, 
the  sister  of  the  Tribune— and  his 
wife.  We  should  err  if  we  regarded 
Rienzi  altogether  in  the  light  of 
romance.  Undoubtedly  as  such— as 
a  fiction,  and  coming  under  the  title 
of  a  novel,  it  is  a  glorious,  a  wonder- 
ful conception,  and  not  the  less 
wonderfully  and  gloriously  carried 
out.  What  else  could  we  say  of  a 
book  over  which  the  mind  so  delight- 
edly lingers  in  perusal?  In  its  de- 
lineations of  passion  and  character 
—in  the  fine  blending  and  contrast- 
ing of  its  incidents— in  the  rich  and 
brilliant  tints  of  its  feudal  paint- 
ings—in a  pervading  air  of  chivalry, 
and  grace,  and  sentiment— in  all 
which  can  thro  a  charm  over  the 
pages  of  romance,  the  last  novel  of 
Bulwer  is  equal  to  any  of  his  former 
productions."    [So.    Lit    Messenger. 

C1221 
1379. 

THE      LION     OF      ST.      MARK, 
[by    G:    Alfred    Henty:    Blackie,— 


Scribner,    1S88.]    "  It   has  not   been 
our      lot      in      a      long      time      to 
peruse     so    vigorous    and     absorb- 
ing  a   book   for   boys.      The    scene 
is  laid  at  the  time  of  the  hard  strug- 
gle    of     Venice    against    Hungary, 
Padua,  and  Genoa.    The  hero  is  an 
English  boy,  tho  admitted  to  Vene- 
tian citizenship.    He  has  all  the  gen- 
erous qualities  with  which  this  au- 
thor   likes    to    endow    his    intrepid 
young  heroes.  It  is  a  delight  to  folio 
this  admirable  youth  throu  a  series 
of  daring  exploits  and  hairbreadth 
escapes,  fascinated  by  the  rapid  nar- 
rativ,    and   always   supported   by   a 
boundless  confidence  in  the  ability 
of  Francis  to  rescue  the  imprisoned 
maidens,   or  circumvent   the   pirate 
Ruggiero,    or   contrive   his   own   es- 
cape and  that  of  his  comrades  from 
their  Genoese  captors."      [Critic.]— 
"  It  treats  of  Venice  in   the  latter 
part  of  the  14th  century,  the  brave 
days  of  the  bitterest  struggle  with 
Genova,  of  Pisani  and  Doria,  of  t"Be 
sea-fights  of  Antium,  Porto  d'Anzo, 
and    Chioggia.      The   hero,    Francis 
Hammond,  son  of  an  English  mer- 
chant, is  engaged  in  many  bold  en- 
terprises, and  is  as  daring  as  he  is 
successful.    He   rescues   more   than 
once  two  lovely  Venetian  ladies  from 
dastard    hands.    He    discovers    ene- 
mies   of    the    Republic    plotting    in 
Venice.    He  servs  Venice  on  the  sea 
in  many  a  good  fight.    His  enemy 
and  rival  turns  pirate— a  bad  sort  of 
renegade    pirate— and    after    a   few 
freaks  of  fortune  comes  to  a  very 
bad  end.    Every  boy  should  read  The 
Lion  of  St.   Mark.    Mr.   Henty  has 
never    produced    a    story    more    de- 
lightful,  more  wholesome,   or   mox'e 
vivacious.    From  first  to  last  it  wil 
be     read     with     keen     enjoyment." 
[Saturday  Review.  1224 

THE  CITY  IN  THE  SEA  [Seeley, 
1883]  "  is  a  complete  history  of  Ven- 
ice. It  is  admirably  arranged  and 
wel    written.    The    colored   pictures 


82 


HISTORY :— ITALY. 


ar  rather  too  ambitious,  and  fail 
very  mucli  here  and  there,  but  some 
of  them  ar  extremely  good."  [Sat- 
urday Review.  1226 

UNDER  BAYARD'S  BANNER. 

[by  H:  Frith:  Cassell,  1SS6.]  "  'The 
days  of  chivalry  '  wer  on  the  wane 
when  Louis  XII.  made  war  in  Italy 
[1499],  and  the  felonious  deeds  re- 
corded in  this  volume  do  not  en- 
hance one's  regret  for  the  Middle 
Age.  Bayard's  figure  of  course 
stands  out  a  bright  exception,  and 
the  author  has  done  wel  to  revive 
the  memory  of  the  famous  captain." 
[Athenaeum.  1232 

THE  EXILES  OF  LUCERNA  [by 
J:  Ross  McDuff:  3d  ed.,  London, 
1S59]  "  is  interesting  and  wel  writ- 
ten. The  secluded  valleys  of  Lu- 
cerna,  Perosa,  and  St.  Martino,  hid- 
den in  the  recesses  of  the  mountains 
which  form  the  barrier  between 
France  and  Italy,  ar  the  scene  of 
glorious  struggles  on  behalf  of  re- 
ligious freedom.  The  great  move- 
ments of  persecution  which  culmi- 
nated in  the  outbreak  of  1686  brot 
out  displays  of  heroic  constancy, 
strongly  reminding  the  historical 
student  of  the  early  years  of  Chris- 
tianity. And  in  this  book  the  Wal- 
densian  sufferers  hav  found  a  me- 
morial at  once  wel  conceived  and 
worthily  executed."      [Lit.   Gazette. 

1236 

CHILD-LIFE  IN  ITALY,  [by  Em- 
ily H.  Watson:  Boston,  Tilton,  1866.] 
"  A  compilation  from  familiar  let- 
ters written  by  the  instructor  of  the 
children  of  an  American  artist  while 
abroad,  simple  in  narrativ,  sugges- 
tiv  in  incident,  and  instructiv  as 
embodying  a  mass  of  matter  per- 
taining to  the  habits,  traditions, 
festivals,  modes  of  life,  etc.,  of  the 
different  communities  visited.  Tho 
designed  for  children,  there  is  much 
to  attract  the  attention  of  older 
readers."    [Commonwealth.  1244 


THE  YOUNG  DODGE  CLUB. 
THE  SEVEN  HILLS,  [by  Ja.  De 
Mille:  Lee,  1872.]  "The  original 
Dodge  Club  was  marked  by  great 
liveliness  of  movement  in  the  inci- 
dents. Hi  animal  spirits  wer  an- 
other of  its  characteristics,  and  the 
Yankee  reader  wil  recollect  that  it 
shoed  that  curious  conception  of  the 
Yankee  which  makes  him  wear  on 
his  waistcoat  the  stars  of  our  na- 
tional banner,  the  stripes  of  the 
same  emblem  being  made  into  pan- 
taloons for  him.  Withal,  there  was 
evident  in  his  accoutrements  and 
his  moral  and  intellectual  outfit  suf- 
ficient proof  of  his  creator's  clear 
perception  that  it  was  the  Yankees 
who  wer  to  buy  the  books  in  which 
this  generation  figured,  and  he  is 
accordingly  made  as  inventiv,  cool, 
courageous,  just,  merciful,  inde- 
pendent, and  good-natured  as  he 
is  Impudent,  il-bred,  and  untutored. 
In  the  present  book  there  is  the 
same  fondness  for  headlong  mis- 
chief and  practical  joking,  but  there 
is  also  a  great  deal  of  guide-book  in- 
formation about  Rome,  which  is  wel 
enuf  told  to  make  it  in  itself  beguil- 
ing to  children,  and  the  concomitant 
horse-play  wil  make  it  quite  irre- 
sistible to  most  boys.  .  .  .  There  is 
a  description  of  the  ascent  to  the 
roof  of  St.  Peter's  and  of  the  scene 
there  presented  to  the  eye,  which 
is  admirable  for  its  spirit  and  viv- 
idness."   [Nation.  1248 

GREECE. 
THE  WTJNDER-BOOK.  [by  Nath. 
Hawthorne:  Ticknor.  1852.]  "  Haw- 
thorne may  hav  written  more  pow- 
erful stories  than  those  contained  in 
this  volume,  but  none  so  truly  de- 
litful.  The  spirit  of  the  book  is 
so  essentially  sunny  and  happy,  that 
it  creates  a  jubilee  in  the  brain  as 
we  read.  It  is  intended  for  children, 
but  let  not  the  intention  cheat  men 
and  women  out  of  the  pleasure  they 


83 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


wil  find  in  its  sparkling  and  genial 
pages.  Tlie  stories  ar  told  by  a  cer- 
tain Eustice  Bright  to  a  mob  of 
children,  whom  the  author  re-bap- 
tizes with  the  fairy  appellation  of 
Primrose,  Periwinlile,  Sweet  Fern, 
Dandelion,  Blue-Eye,  Clover, 
Huclvleberry,  Cowslip,  Squash-blos- 
som, Milk-weed,  Plantain  and  But- 
tercup. The  individuality  of  these 
little  creatures  is  happily  preservd, 
especially  in  the  criticisms  and  ap- 
plications they  malie  after  each 
story  is  told;  and  the  reader  parts 
with  them  unwillingly.  The  stories, 
six  in  number,  ar  classical  myths, 
recast  to  suit  the  author's  purpos, 
and  told  with  exquisit  grace,  sim- 
plicity and  playfulness.  The  book 
wil  become  a  children's  classic,  and, 
to  our  taste,  is  fairly  the  best  of 
its  kind  in  English  literature.  It  is 
a  child's  story-book  informed  with 
the  finest  genius."    [Graham's  Mag. 

1270 
TANGLEWOOD  TALES,  [by  Na- 
thaniel Hawthorne:  Boston,  Tick- 
noi".  1853.]  "  The  children's  tales 
written  for  the  imaginary  audience 
at  Tauglewood  ar  very  clever, 
and  admirably  suited  to  delight  the 
young  as  wel  as  to  amuse  the  old. 
They  ar  old  classical  stories  told  in 
a  fresh  romantic  way,  as  they  might 
be  told  by  a  man  of  genius  in  play- 
ful humor,  taking  as  much  satisfac- 
tion as  he  givs  over  his  pleasant 
undertaking.  It  is  a  child's  book 
and  a  man's  book,  and  a  book  over 
which  wives  and  dauters  may  also 
discreetly  entertain  themselvs." 
[Examiner.] — "  The  stories  come 
from  his  imagination,  pure,  delicate, 
consistent,  full  of  moral  beauty,  and 
exceeding  all  fairy  tales  we  can 
remember  in  interest  and  attractiv- 
ness.  .  .  The  subjects  of  the  stories 
are  '  The  Minotaur,'  a  most  captivat- 
ing narrativ  of  the  adventures  of 
Theseus;  '  The  Pygmies,'  in  which 
the  redoubtable  acts  of  those  little 


warriors,  in  their  combats  with  the 
cranes,  ar  dutifully  blazoned;  '  The 
Dragon's  Teeth,'  devoted  to  the  life 
of  Cadmus, .  the  discoverer  of  A  B 
C,  and  therefore  of  deep  interest; 
'  Circe's  Palace,'  a  glorious  account 
of  the  victory  of  Odysseus  over  the 
most  beautiful  of  witches;  '  The 
Pomegranate  Seeds,'  in  which  the 
story  of  Proserpina  is  gracefully 
adapted  to  children's  minds;  and 
'  The  Golden  Fleece,'  or  the  ad- 
ventures of  Jason.  It  is  almost 
needless  to  say  that  all  these  stories 
evince  the  felicity  and  transform- 
ing power  of  genius."  [Graham's 
Mag.  1271 

THE  HEROES:  Greek  Fairy 
Tales  for  my  Children,  [by  C: 
Kingsley:  Boston,  Ticknor.  1856.] 
"  Perseus,  the  Argonauts.  and 
Tiieseus  ar  the  subjects.  The  pre- 
face invites  children  to  gather  ex- 
amples of  courage  and  endurance 
from  these  antique  legends,  and  re- 
minds them  how  much  we  ar  be- 
holden to  Greece  for  the  rudiments 
of  science,  and  the  perfection  of 
some  branches  of  art.  Nothing 
could  be  more  felicitous  than  the 
style  and  language  employed.  In 
simplicity  they  ar  adapted  to  the 
youngest,  and  yet  they  rise  at  times 
almost  into  classic  stateliness." 
[Albion.  1272 

TALES  OF  ANCIENT  GREECE. 
[by  G:  W.  Cox:  Chicago,  McClurg, 
1877.]  "  Its  four  parts  consist  of  '  The 
Gods  and  Heroes,'  '  Tales  of  the 
Trojan  War,'  '  Tales  of  Thebes,'  and 
'  Miscellaneous  Tales,'  and  furnish  a 
pretty  complete  outfit  of  the  com- 
monplaces of  Greek  mythology,  of 
Homer,  Sophocles,  and  Herodotus. 
Admirable  in  style,  and  level  with  a 
child's  comprehension,  these  ver- 
sions constitute  an  abridged  and 
purified  Lempriere  Avhich  might  wel 
find  a  place  in  every  family,  either 
as  a  preparation  for  classical  train- 
ing or  (as  far  as  it  wil  go)  as  a  sub- 


84 


GEOGRAPHY :— SWEDEN. 


stitute  for  it.  Forms  like  KirkP, 
Eurydike,  etc.,  in  Mr.  Cox'  folloing 
of  the  Greek  orthography,  wil  offer 
no  obstacle  to  those  who  hav  been 
taut  the  approved  Latin  pronun- 
ciation of  the  present  day."  [Na- 
tion. 1273 

THE  TALE  OF  TROY  [done  into 
English  by  Aubrey  Stewart:  Mac- 
millan,  1886]  "  is  one  of  those  fas- 
cinating renderings  of  classic  leg- 
ends of  which  English  scholars  hav 
given  us  so  many.  For  the  most 
part  the  story  is  derived  from  the 
'  Iliad '  and  the  language  of  the 
poet  is  foUoed  very  closely  when- 
ever followed.  The  beginning  and 
the  end,  for  which  Homer  gave  no 
materials,  ar  told  by  the  author  in 
language  not  unworthy  to  go  Avitli 
the  rest,  altho  the  style  is  his,  not 
Homer's."    [Nation.  1276 

A  STORY  OF  THE  GOLDEN 
AGE  [by  Ja.  Baldwin:  Scribner, 
1887]  "  is  a  happily  conceived  and 
executed  introduction  to  classical 
mythology.  The  story  is  built  about 
the  adventures  of  the  youthful 
Odysseus,  who  is  carried  from  his 
home  by  his  tutor  to  visit  his  grand- 
parents, and  to  whom,  in  the  course 
of  his  travels,  various  legends  of 
classical  mythology  ar  related.  It 
therefore  at  once  contains  a  collec- 
tion of  heroic  stories,  and  servs  to 
conduct  the  young  hero  to  the 
threshold  of  the  Trojan  War.    The 


purpos  of  the  writer  is  not  to  giv 
'  a  simplified  version  '  of  Homer,  but 
'  to  pave  the  way,  if  I  dare  say  it, 
to  an  enjoyable  reading  of  Homer.'  " 
[Nation.  1277 

THE  ADVENTURES  OF  ULYS- 
SES, [by  C:  Lamb:  Phil'a,  Gebbie, 
1890.]  "  The  Odyssey  as  it  passed 
throu  Lamb's  mind,  with  all  its 
angles  and  saliences,  picturesque- 
uess  and  fairy-lore,  lies  here  pano- 
rama-wise, and  is  reproduced  in  es- 
sential sweetness  and  strangeness, 
just  as  he  might  hav  told  it  with 
the  children  at  his  knee.  Lamb's 
Odysseus  is  Homer's,  and  yet  he  is 
not:  he  is  Ella's;  rugged,  grand, 
fearless  as  the  Homeric,  but  poetical 
and  pathetic  more  than  even  the 
Greek  artist  could  draw  him.  The 
'  Aaveutures  '  ar  in  prose  of  a  kind 
that  melts  into  poetry  and  music.  .  . 
Mr.  Lang,  in  a  pleasant,  infantile 
preface,  speaks  to  the  children 
about  Homer  and  the  gods." 
[Critic.  1280 

THREE  GREEK  CHILDREN,  by 
A.  J:  Church.  See  "Novels  of  An- 
cient Life,"  No.  87.  C1285 

THE  BOY'S  AND  GIRL'S  HERO- 
DOTUS, ed.  J:  Silas  White.  See 
"  Novels  of  Ancient  Life,"   No.  97. 

C1287 

THE  BOY'S  AND  GIRL'S  PLU- 
TARCH, ed.  J:  Silas  White.  See 
"  Novels  of  Ancient  Life,"  No.  143. 

C1295 


THE  BOY  TRAVELLERS  O  NORTHERN  EUROPE,  Ad- 
ventures of  Two  Youths  in  a  Journey  throu  Holland,  Germany, 
Denmark,  Norway  and  Sweden,  with  Visits  to  Heligoland  and 
the  Land  of  the  Midnight  Sun.  [by  T:  W.  Knox:  Harpers,  1891.] 
"  This  is  the  twelfth,  as  we  count,  in  the  series  of  jom'neys  made 
by  these  unwearying  youths,  whom  travel  keeps  perpetually  young, 
and  whose  conversation  remains  at  a  stage  of  instruct! v  fullness 
unparalleled  in  juvenile  experience.  We  marvel  at  the  amount  of 
knoledge  which  these  youngsters  can  receive  and  disgorge,  but 
it  must  be  remembered  that,  wherever  they  go,  they  hav,  besides 


85 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

their  guidebooks,  tlie  special  copy  of  the  Quarterly  Review  which 
treats  the  subject  in  hand,  or  some  book  devoted  to  theu'  interests. 
We  would  not  be  Mrs.  Bassett  or  Dr.  Bronson  and  travel  about 
with  these  two  youths  for  a  good  deal.  ^Ul  the  same,  if  one  dis- 
misses the  notion  that  the  people  in  the  book  ar  real,  one  may 
help  himself  to  a  vast  amount  of  assorted  knoledge  and  illustrativ 
pictures;  and  that,  no  doubt,  is  just  what  boys  and  gu'ls  who  read 
this  book  do."     [Atlantic.  1300 

NORTHERN      LIGHTS      [Phil'a:  '  There  ar  many  cliarming  pictures 

Porter,  1874]  "  is  a  collection  of  35  of  Swedish  life  in  the  early  part  of 

short    stories,    translated    from    the  the  century  in  '  The  Loss  of  John 

best  Swedish  and  Finnish  authors.  Humble,'  which  giv  the  book  an  un- 

The  simple  language  of  these  tales,  usual  interest  and  even  value.    The 

the  good  moral  lesson  each  teaches  house  of  the  Stockholm  merchant  is 

without   becoming   tedious,    the    fa-  pleasantly  pictured,  while  the  little 

miliar     illustrations     drawn     from  maiden    Frida    is    a    character    of 

every-day  life,  will  make  '  Northern  whom  the  reader  becorhes  very  fond. 

Lights  '    particularly    acceptable    to  So  is  it  with  the  hero,  a  sailor-boy, 

American  boys  and  girls,  especially  who    is    wrecked    near    the    North 

those  who  live  in  rural  homes.    We  Cape.  He  and  his  companions  spend 

need    some    such    quieting,     whole-  the  winter  on  this  desolate  shore  in 

some,  soothing  influence,  like  a  cool  a     suo    hut,    amid    privations    and 

breeze  from  the  north,  to  allay  the  sufferings      most      graphically      de- 

feverish  excitement  of  the  times  in  scribed.    Finally  they  ar  rescued  by 

which    we    liv,    to    provoke    sober  a  party  of  Lapps  with  dog-sledges, 

thot,    and    call    the    minds    of    the  which    gives    the    author,    who    ap- 

young  to  the  contemplation  of  seri-  pears  to  be  a  Norseman,  an  oppor- 

ous  things."    [Aldine.                     1315  tunity  to  describe  some  of  the  cus- 

THE  LOSS  OF  .JOHN  HUMBLE,  toms  of  these  rather  uninteresting 

[by    G.     Norway:     Scribner,    1889.]  people."    [Nation.                            1320 

THE  VIKING  BODLEYS.  [by  H.  E.  Scudder:  Houghton,  1884.] 
"  The  Vikings  ar  a  family  party  of  six,  who  ar  not  at  all  savage,  or 
recless  of  comfort.  They  stay  at  the  best  hotels,  exhibit  the  mod- 
ern civilized  interest  in  pictures  and  statues  and  books,  and  go 
constantly  in  search  of  literary  reminiscences.  Altogether,  their 
title  to  the  formidable  name  they  assume  is  shared  by  all  persons 
who  cross  the  North  Sea  or  travel  along  its  coast  for  amusement 
and  instruction.  Mr.  Scudder  has  attempted  to  differentiate  his 
travelers  from  ordinary  tourists  by  giving  a  definit  aim  to  their 
wanderings — this  aim  being  to  discover  connecting  links  between 
the  Old  World  and  the  New,  or,  in  other  words,  to  search  for  the 
footprints   of  their  ancestors.     The   Vikings  cross  from  Hull   to 

86 


HISTORY :— NORWAY 


Christiania,  travel  thence  by  rail  to  Throndhjem,  thence  by  steamer 
to  Hammerfest  and  the  North  Cape.  Here  the  tourist's  dread 
enemj',  fog,  interferes  with  their  plan  of  seeing  the  midnight  sun 
shining  across  the  Arctic  Ocean;  they  set  their  faces  southward 
and  finally  reach  Copenhagen.  The  descriptions  ar  vivid  and 
interesting,  and  the  temptation  to  gush  is  steadily  resisted.  Small 
talk  and  family  banter  flo  freely  at  all  times  and  places,  and  not 
a  Bodley  of  them  all  ever  shos  any  signs  of  being  overawed.  The 
result  is  a  sufficiently  realistic  picture,  not  only  of  the  places  visited 
and  the  impressions  received,  but  also  of  the  way  in  which  average 
wel-bred  people  talk  and  act  while  sight-seeing.  Children  of  a 
smaller  growth  will  perhaps  skip  some  of  the  learning,  and  those 
of  a  larger  gi-owth  the  frivolity;  but  young  people  of  all  ages  wil 
be  pleased  with  the  fluent  narrativ  and  with  the  excellent  illustra- 
tions."    [Nation.  1325 

so  far  apart  that  they  reached  from 
heaven  to  earth,  and  who  pursued 
the  sun  as  he  was  sinking  and  de- 
voured it,  whereupon  awful  dark- 
ness came  over  all— the  darkness  of 
the  Fimbul  winter."  [Nation.  1330 
THIODOLF  THE  ICELANDER 
[by  F:  de  la  Motte-Fouque:  Futnam, 
1845]  "  tho  not  a  work  of  so  hi  a 
character  as  Unhine,  and  lacking 
the  brilliancy  of  design  which 
marks  that  beautiful  story,  is  a  pro- 
duction of  genius.  It  carries  the 
reader  into  that  old  world  of  lofty, 
ideal  chivalry  in  which  Fouque's 
mind  delited  to  dwel  and  create. 
For  the  present  time  this  work  may 
to  some  minds  seem  quite  dead  and 
worthless,  but  it  is  not  so  for  us. 
We  can  not  read  of  those  knightly 
virtues  of  honor,  purity,  devotion, 
and  that  strength  of  wil  and  power 
of  action,  and  iron,  unshrinking 
courage,  without  feeling  that  they 
hav  a  response  from  the  very  heart 
of  this  age  and  people;  that  they 
can  now  stand  us  in  stead  more  than 
ever  they  did  men  before,  because 
for  bier  and  broader  ends.  To  us 
it  does   not   seem   that  the  age  of 


NORSE  STORIES  RETOLD  [by 
Hamilton  W.  Mabie:  Roberts,  1882] 
"  ar  fascinating  reading  for  young 
or  old,  tho  the  style  is  not  spec- 
ially adapted  for  childi'en.  They  tel 
of  the  making  of  the  world,  Odin's 
search  for  wisdom,  the  apples  of 
Idun,  Thor's  wonderful  journey, 
the  twilight  of  the  gods,  the  new 
earth,  and  many  other  Northern 
legends.  The  reader  wil  be  im- 
pressed by  the  weird  and  gloomy 
features  of  these  Scandinavian 
myths,  by  which  they  ar  distin- 
guished from  the  serene  beauty  of 
the  Greek  legends;  and  also  by  a 
peculiar  vastness  of  conception, 
oing  to  their  atmospheric  or  astrono- 
mical bacground.  The  gods  ar  in 
constant  conflict  with  the  powers 
of  darkness  and  with  various  zoo- 
logical monsters— for  example,  a 
colossal  snake,  which  grew  until  he 
coiled  around  the  whole  eai'th;  the 
giant  Thjasse,  with  eagle  plumage, 
who  carried  ofC  Loki  and  made  him 
promise  to  steal  the  apples  of  Idun 
to  which  the  gods  oed  their  eternal 
youth  and  beauty;  the  giant  Fenris 
wolf,  whose  hungry  jaws  stretched 


87 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


chivalry  is  past,  but  that  it  is  just 
beginning,  and  we  find  very  use- 
ful lessons  in  these  tales  of  old 
knighthood,  these  pictures  of  Scandi- 
navian antiquity,  and  perhaps  all 
the  more  useful  because  the  author 
has  cast  himself  wholly  into  the 
spirit  of  ancient  romance,  and  has 
not  alloyed  it  with  the  mixture  of 
meaner,  tho  more  advanced,  epochs. 
As  a  novel,  Thiodolf  can  hardly 
prove  satisfactory  to  those  who 
measure  the  imagination  of  an  au- 
thor by  the  foot-rule  of  their  own 
understanding,  and  Avho  wil  not 
permit  any  departure  from  the  his- 
toric unities  and  probabilities.  But 
to  all  imaginativ  persons  of  uncon- 
taminated  taste,  to  the  young  espec- 
ially, it  wil  be  most  welcom."  [Har- 
binger. 1332 
IVAR  THE  VIKING  [by  Paul  Du 
Chaillu:  Scribners,  1894]  "is  'a  ro- 
mantic history  based  upon  authentic 
facts  of  the  third  and  fourth  cen- 
turies.' It  may  be  asserted  that  we 
kno  almost  nothing  of  the  Norse- 
men not  only  of  the  third  and  fourth 
centuries,  but  of  those  succeeding, 
down  to  the  so-called  Viking  Age, 
which  began  with  the  middle  of 
the  eighth  century.  The  oldest  of 
the  Eddie  songs  do  not,  in  all  prob- 
ability, antedate  the  ninth  century, 
and  the  Sagas  ar  later.  The  great 
body  of  Mr.  Du  Chaillu's  '  authentic 
facts '  is,  in  reality,  derived  from 
the  tenth  century.  IMuch  of  his 
mythology  could  not  possibly  be 
earlier.  The  picture  of  Walhalla, 
for  instance,  as  we  hav  it.  is  a  dis- 
tinct   growth    of    the    Viking    Age. 


What  the  Norse  mythology  of  the 
third  century  was,  no  man  knoes, 
and  it  is  utterly  inrtipable  of  recon- 
struction from  what  we  hav  left  of 
it.  The  history  of  the  Norse  chief- 
tain begins  with  his  birth,  and  tels 
of  his  fostering  away  from  home, 
of  his  education,  his  expeditions 
and  his  voyages,  and  finally  of  his 
accession  to  rule  upon  the  death  of 
his  father.  Like  the  good  old-fash- 
ioned tales  everywhere,  it  ends  with 
a  marriage,  and  Ivar  and  his  bride 
sail  away  home  on  a  dragon-ship. 
The  story  is  characteristically  spir- 
ited, and  the  romantic  part,  at 
least,  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired." 
[Nation.  1333 

OLAP  THE  GLORIOUS,  [by  Ro. 
Leighton:  Blackie,  1894.]  "Mr. 
Leighton  tels  us  that  it  '  is  not  so 
much  a  story  as  a  biography.  My 
hero  reigned  as  king  of  Norway. 
The  main  facts  of  his  adventurous 
career— his  boyhood  of  slavery  in 
Esthonia,  his  life  at  the  court  of 
King  Valdemar,  his  wanderings  as 
a  Viking,  the  many  battles  he  fot, 
his  conversion  to  Christianity  in 
England,  and  his  ultimate  return  to 
his  nativ  land— ar  set  forth  in  vari- 
ous Sagas.'  The  interesting  and 
fascinating  story  carries  us  bac  as 
far  as  A.  D.  981,  making  us  enter 
into  all  the  daring  and  noble  deeds 
of  Olaf,  and  even  sympathize  with 
what  to  us  may  seem  horrible  deeds 
of  cruelty,  but  which  wer  typical 
of  those  times,  and  which  in  our 
hero's  case  wer  but  the  just  punish- 
ment of  crime  or  betrayal."  [Satur- 
day Review.  1335 


THE  BOY  TRAVELLERS  IN  THE  RUSSIAN  EMPIRE,  [by 
T:  W.  Knox:  Harper,  1880.]  "Youngsters  who  study  this  vohime 
wil  kno  more  about  the  subject  than  many  of  thek  elders.  Nearly 
every  boolv  of  any  value  in  English  dealing  with  the  subject  has 
been  consulted,  and  the  result  is  a  vast  mass  of  information  on 
a  great  variety  of  subjects.     This  plan  of  giving  as  much  solid 

88 


HISTORY :— RUSSIA. 


information  as  possible  necessarily  imparts  a  rather  dry,  guide- 
book style  to  the  greater  part  of  the  book,  whereas  the  narrativ 
of  the  author's  trip  across  Siberia  is  at  once  easy  and  likely  to  be 
remembered."     [Nation.  1350 


COSSACIv  AND  CZAR  [bj-  D: 
Ker:  Chambers,  1892]  "  is  a  very 
spirited  story  of  tlie  struggle  be- 
tween tlie  Swedes  and  tlie  Russians, 
and  of  Mazeppa  and  [1709]  '  dread 
Poltava's  day.' "  [Saturday  Re- 
view. 1360 

A  JACOBITE  EXILE,  [by  G:  Al- 
fred Henty:  Blackie,  1S93.]  "The 
historical  element  and  the  romantic 
ar  wel  mixed.  The  plain  facts  about 
Karl  XII.'s  campaigns,  while  he 
was  stil  in  the  first  flush  of  his  vic- 
torious career,  ar  fascinating  enuf. 
The  surprise  of  the  Russians  at 
Narva  [1700],  for  instance,  is  one 
of  the  most  curious  events  in  mili- 
tary history;  and  it  does  not  lose 
its  interest  in  Mr.  Henty's  skilful 
hands.  Then  the  young  Jacobite's 
private  adventures  make  a  more 
than  usually  exciting  tale.  Besides 
a  visit  to  the  inside  of  a  Russian 
prison,  a  sojourn  with  a  band  of 
Polish  brigands,  and  a  hair's-breadtli 
escape  from  a  pac  of  famished 
wolves,  we  hav  a  distinct  novelty 
in  the  hero's  visit  to  Warsaw.  The 
Swedish  king  takes  it  into  his  head 
— always,  as  every  one  knoes,  just  a 
little  cracked — that  Charlie  Carruth- 
ers  could  do  a  little  bit  of  diplomatic 
work  for  him.  The  lad  had  won 
Karl's  favor  by  an  ingenious  sug- 
gestion which  had  helped  him  out 
of  a  military  diflEiculty.  He  sends 
him,  not  a  little  against  his  wil,  to 
Warsaw,  to  intrigue  against  Augus- 
tus the  Strong.  His  attempt  to  ful- 
fil this  mission,  his  dealings  with 
Herr  Soloman  INIuller,  and  his  ad- 
ventures in  the  charcoal-burner's 
hut,  ar  worked  into  a  more  than 
usually  good  story.    Mr.  Henty  de- 


servs,  as  usual,  the  praise  of  keep- 
ing the  sentimental  element  in  the 
bacground.  It  is,  of  course,  '  de 
rigueur  '  to  giv  a  glimpse  of  the  fair 
one  whom  the  brave  may  be  sup- 
posed to  deserv.  But  he  is  judici- 
ous enuf  not  to  do  anything  more 
than  conform  to  the  custom,  and  his 
tales  ar  all  the  better  in  every 
way  for  it."    [Spectator.  1365 

KENNETH,  [by  C.  M..  Yonge: 
Appleton,  1855.]  "  The  larger  por- 
tion is  devoted  to  a  description  of 
the  sufferings,  adventures  and  hero- 
ism of  two  young  people,  at- 
tached as  prisoners  to  the  rear 
gard  of  the  French  army,  in  its  re- 
treat from  Moscow  [1812].  Kenneth 
and  his  sister  ar  both  drawn  with 
the  peculiar  power  of  the  authoress; 
and  the  deep  and  quiet  intensity 
displayed  in  the  representation  of 
the  affections,  and  of  those  prin- 
ciples which  hav  their  source  in 
the  affections,  fixes  and  fastens  the 
attention  of  the  reader."  [Graham's 
Mag.  1370 

CHILDHOOD  AND  YOUTH,  [by 
Nicolai  Tolstoi:  Bell  and  Daldy, 
1862.]  "  He  teaches  a  far  larger 
circle  of  scholars  by  a  delightful 
retrospect  of  his  early  life,  doubtless 
with  some  coloring  of  fiction.  Read 
as  a  specimen  of  Russian  litera- 
ture, or  as  a  sentimental  narrativ 
of  boyish  history,  the  book  is  equally 
interesting.  Its  author  aptly  com- 
bines a  mature  power  of  analysis 
with  a  hearty  enjoyment  and  full 
comprehension  of  youthful  feelings. 
The  narrativ  of  the  boy  Nicolai's 
career  begins  with  his  11th  year  and 
ends  when  he  is  16.  We  see  him 
in  the  school-room  and  parlor,  in  his 


89 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


homely  games  and  boyish  troubles. 
We  laf  at  the  misfortunes  attendant 
on  his  first  attempt  at  hunting,  and 
the  stil  greater  perplexities  arising 
out  of  his  fii'st  participation  in  a 
ball  at  Moscow.  We  share  in  the 
zest  of  his  precocious  flirtations,  and 
sympathize  with  him  when,  at  night, 
he  tucs  his  head  under  his  pillo  and 
revels  till  morning  in  waking 
dreams  about  the  beauty  which  en- 
slaves him.  We  understand  his  ex- 
citement while  composing  verses  to 
be  presented  to  his  grandmama  on 
her  birthday,  and  his  bashfulness 
when  the  poem  is  produced  and 
read  in  public.  We  folio  him  in 
his  boyish  follies,  and  comprehend 
the  mental  torture,  the  strivings  in 
a  rude,  harsh  way  of  his  good  and 
bad  passions  when  the  retribution 
comes.  He  is  an  ugly,  pensiv  lad. 
fanciful  and  blundering,  timid  and 
ambitious,  unpleasantly  given  to 
tears,  but  with  a  brave  heart  under 
all;  thoroly  im-English  in  his  tem- 
perament, and  on  that  account  a 
more  interesting  subject  of  observa- 
tion. But  the  charm  of  Count  Tol- 
stoi's book  lies  in  his  presentment 
of  the  boy's  thots  when  they  ar 
strongest  and  most  pathetic.  Be- 
sides the  hero  of  the  story,  many 
other  characters  ar  delicately  drawn. 
One  personage  is  the  tutor,  a  gen- 
uin  Russian,  of  lo  birth  and  scanty 
education,  but  generous  and  hi- 
souled.      Yet  more  attractiv  is  the 


portrait  of  the  chambermaid  to 
Nicolai's  grandparents,  nurse  to  his 
mother,  and  stanch  protectress  to 
himself."    [Examiner.  1372 

JACK  ARCHER,  [by  G:  Alfred 
Henty:  Low,  1883.]  "The  Crimean 
war  is  already  so  far  forgotten  that 
the  old  story  of  that  triumphant 
but  melancholy  episode  in  our  his- 
tory may  be  worth  writing  for 
young  folk.  So  at  least  thinks  this 
author  and  we  hav  no  fault  to  find 
with  the  way  in  which  he  has  per- 
formed his  task.  He  has  certainly 
added  very  much  to  the  interest  and 
value  of  the  book  by  a  series  of 
plans  of  the  principal  battles." 
[Saturday  Review.  1373 

SAME  ("  The  Fall  of  Sebasto- 

pol  '■).  "  This  author  possesses  rare 
tact  in  writing  for  boys.  His  stories 
hav  the  dash,  the  rapid  spring  from 
adventure  to  adventure  which  young 
readers  find  so  attractiv  in  the  dime 
novel.  At  the  same  time  the  tales 
ar  unexceptional  in  tone,  manly,  re- 
fined and  wel-written.  The  present 
story  relates  the  adventures  of  two 
midshipmen,  who  went  to  Crimea 
and  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Bala- 
klava,  Inkerman,  the  Tchernaya, 
and  the  tremendous  siege  of  Sebas- 
topol  [1854-5].  These  boys  ar  typical 
middies,  full  of  courage,  warm- 
heartedness, and  fun."  [Boston 
"  Lit.  World."  1374 


THREE  VASSAR  GIRLS  IN  RUSSIA  AND  TURKEY,  [by 
E..  (Williams)  Champney:  Estes,  1889.]  "They  see  Montenegro, 
Greece,  Turkey,  St.  I'etersburg,  the  Balkan  peninsula,  Moscow, 
Nijni-Novgorod,  and  Crimea.  In  these  journeys  they  learn  much 
of  the  peculiar  customs  and  superstitions  of  the  people,  and  crowd 
their  pages  with  ricli  tidbits  of  information,  besides  having  most 
delightful  and  semi-thrilling  adventures.  Traveling  over  the 
ground  of  the  war  of  1877-78  at  Shipka  Pass  and  Tlevna,  they 


90 


GEOGRAPHY :— CANADA. 

learn  in  detail  about  that  mit}^  duel  between  Moscovite  and  Otto- 
man."    [Critic.  1375 

ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  NEW  FRANCE  AND  ACADIA. 
[by  Hezekiali  Butterwortli :  Estes,  1884.]  "The  'History  Class' 
ar  herein  supposed  to  learn  a  little  history,  tel  stories  of  Acadia, 
and  to  visit  Nova  Scotia,  the  St.  Lawrence,  Quebec,  etc.  The 
traveling  amounts  to  but  little  as  personal  experience,  but  servs 
as  occasion  for  more  history  and  much  legend.  .  .  The  historical 
portions  ar  more  or  less  confused,  but  wil  help  to  refresh  the  read- 
er's memory;  the  topical  descriptions  ar  not  without  interest,  and 
many  of  the  illustrations  ar  good."     [Nation.  1450 

SETTLERS  IN  CANADA,  [by  F:  Marryat:  Warne,  1886.] 
"  This  book  after  deliting  successiv  generations  of  boys  for  more 
than  forty  years,  bids  fair  to  do  the  same  for  as  many  years  to 
come.  We  cannot  remember  in  fiction  any  better  description 
than  this  of  the  life  of  the  early  emigrants  to  the  West.  The 
scene  of  the  story  is  laid  on  the  northeastern  shore  of  Lake  On- 
tario, and  we  watch  with  great  interest  the  progress  of  the  settlers 
in  bilding  then'  log  huts,  in  clearing  and  planting  the  land,  as 
wel  as  in  their  more  exciting  adventures  with  wild  animals  and 
Redmen.  The  characters  of  the  old  hunter,  Malachi  Bone,  and 
his  pupU,  the  silent  John,  ar  especially  A\el  di-awn.  The  illustra- 
tions, particularly  those  of  the  animals,  ar  excellent."     [Nation. 

14G5 

IN  THE  LAND  OF  THE  MOOSE,  THE  BEAR  AND  THE 
BEAVER  [by  Achilles  Daunt:  Nelson,  1885]  "is  an  excellent 
book  of  hunting  stories,  written  for  boys,  but  wel  adapted  for 
reading  by  theii*  elders.  Three  trappers  spend  the  summer  in 
the  Lake  Athabasca  region.  Their  adventures  ar  without  num- 
ber, and  as  they  kil  various  animals  in  succession,  one  of  the 
trappers  takes  out  his  note-book  and  reads  copious  notes  con- 
cerning the  habits  and  appearance  of  the  animal  just  slautered, 
so  that  the  book  is  a  sort  of  treatis  on  natural  history  in  disguise." 
[Nation.  1470 

JACK  IN  THE  BUSH  [by  Ro.  Grant:  Boston:  Jordan,  Marsh 
&  Co.,  1888]  "  recounts  the  exploits  in  Lower  Canada,  of  six  boys, 
taken  thither  by  a  self-sacrificing  gentleman,  who  was  a  sound 
sportsman   and  a  master  of  the  art  of  properly   governing  the 

91 


'  S  R  Al?>v 

OF  THh 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


BOOKS   FOR    TIIK    YOUNG. 

youth  in  his  charge.  The  author  knoes  about  sabnon  fishing,  and 
is  perfect!}^  familiar  with  the  phenomena  of  Canadian  woods-lLfe. 
His  book  is  instructiv,  interesting,  healthy  reading  from  begin- 
ning to  end."     [Nation.  1475 

BOYS  COASTWISE  [by  W:  H:  Eideing:  Appleton,  1884]  "is 
a  graphic  story  of  adventure  in  a  New  York  pilot  boat,  with  a 
large  amount  of  information  concerning  steamships,  lighthouses, 
the  life-saving  service,  wreckers,  etc.  The  story  is  neither  iniag- 
inativ  nor  realistic,  but  it  wil  be  read  with  interest  and  with 
profit."     [Nation.  1490 

ALL  AMONO  THE  LIGHTHOUSES  [by  M..  Bradford  Crown- 
inshield :  Lothrop,  1886]  "  givs  instruction  of  a  novel  sort,  balanced 
by  an  almost  equal  amount  of  pleasant  story-telling.  Indeed, 
the  infonnation  and  the  story  go  necessarily  hand  in  hand.  In 
all  this  history  of  a  trip  aL>ug  the  ]\Eaine  coast  there  is  not  ;i 
page  of  dul  reading,  and  much  which  is  very  bright  and  plea  ►sing, 
aside  from  the  good  descriptions  of  many  lighthouses  visited.  .  . 
A  little  history  and  a  touch  of  science  here  and  there  ar  brot 
in  by  the  delightful  Inspector,  Uncle  Tom;  and  a  few  entertaining 
stories  ar  told  by  the  mate,  Mr.  Guptil,  who  is  much  more  a  real 
character  than  the  mere  mouthjiiece  of  facts  who  is  apt  to  figure 
in  children's  books."  [Nation.] — The  compiler  can  testify  from  per- 
sonal experience  to  the  excellence  of  this  work.  It  has  the  uncom- 
mon merit  of  being  almost  as  interesting  to  older  persons  as  to  chil- 
dren, and  is  therefore  admirably  suited  for  reading  aloud.  The 
author's  husband  was  for  some  years  a  lighthouse  inspector,  so 
there  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  accuracy  of  the  information 
about  buoys,  diving-apparatus,  etc.;  but  the  chief  atti'action  of 
the  book  is  the  sympathetic  sketching  of  different  t;s"pes  of  char- 
acter, and  the  picturesque  description  not  only  of  the  scenery  but 
also  of  the  life  on  the  ^Maine  coast.  The  talk  of  the  nativs  is  admir- 
ably exemplified  in  the  amusing  dialect  of  those  here  introduced, 
and  a  vi\id  but  unexaggerated  notion  is  given  of  the  hardships  as 
wel  as  of  the  lafable  incidents  of  their  lives.  All  readers  of  the 
book  Avil  be  glad  to  kno  that  the  literary  life  of  the  lighthouse 
children  is  not  finished  in  this  volume,  but  may  be  found  continued 
in  The  Ignoramuses  (No.  970).  1500 

92 


GEOGRAPHY:— UNITED  STATES. 

THE  EINOCK^iBOUT  CLUB  IN  THE  WOODS,  [by  C: 
Asbui-y  Stephens:  Estes,  1S81.]  "  The  author  takes  a  little  party 
of  boys  and  young  men  on  their  bicycles  from  Boston  to  Andover, 
Me.;  thence  by  launch  and  '  carry  '  upi'  the  Richardson  and  Range- 
ley  Lakes  and  around  to  I'hillips  and  Farmington;  thence  by 
rail  and  stage  to  Moosehead  Lake;  across  Moosehead  into  the 
network  of  lakes  and  rivers  which  extend  north  tx)  the  Canada 
border;  and  so  on  to  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Saguenay.  The 
book  is  properly  written,  deals  with  camping  out,  hunting,  fishing, 
and  related  adventures,  is  interlarded  with  a  good  many  stories 
which  help  to  pass  away  the  time  while  in  the  woods,  as  wel 
as  to  fil  out  the  book,  and  supplies  touches  of  information,  his- 
torical and  other,  by  the  way."     [Boston  "  Lit.  World."  1503 

CITY  BOYS  IN  THE  WOODS  [by  H:  P.  Wells:  Harper,  1889] 
"narrates  the  adventures  of  two  green  boys,  luxuriously  reard, 
who  go  on  a  trapping  expedition  into  the  wildest  part  of  Maine. 
.  .  .  The  author  givs  a  generally  accurate  and  interesting  descrip- 
tion of  life  in  the  woods  and  of  the  modes  of  maldng  one's  self 
comfortable  and  happy  on  small  means  and  by  devices  from  the 
,store(house  of  natureu  A  trapper  named  Dant  becomes  their 
good  genius,— feeds  and  clothes  them,  teaches  them  the  art  of 
trapping  and  other  arts  of  woodcraft,  and  finally  restores  them 
wel  and  hearty  to  their  unnatural  parents.  The  chapter  on 
beavers  is  most  interesting.  The  mingling  of  sound  instruction 
in  natural  history,  woodcraft,  and  sport  which  runs  throu  the 
book,  cannot  fail  to  interest  the  gTown  reader  as  wel  as  the  young 
one."     [Nation.  1.504 

THROUGH  THE  WILDS  [by  C:  A.  J.  Farrar:  Estes,  1892]  "is 
an  account  of  the  tour  of  four  boys  throu  the  Rangeley  Lakes  and 
the  region  adjacent,  including  a  part  of  the  White  Mountains 
and  the  Dixville  Notch.  From  a  certain  lac  of  imagination  in  the 
author  and  the  particularity  with  which  the  daily  doings  of  the 
party  ar  related,  even  their  meals  being  frequently  mentioned, 
the  book,  as  a  story,  is  hardly  successful."     [Nation.  1505 

THEIR  CANOE  TRIP  [by  M..  P.  (Wells)  Smith:  Roberts,  1889] 
"  narrates  the  summer  pleasuring  of  two  enterprising  lads,  who 
embark  upon  the  tortuous  and  altogether  deceiving  Piscataquog 
[quis?]  river,  and,  throu  many  obstacles,  make  their  way  to  the 

93 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

kindlier  waters  of  the  ^lerrimac  and  tlience  homeward.  The  at- 
mosphere of  the  book  is  pleasant  and  wholesom.''  [Critic.  1520 
THE  BODLEYS  ON  WHEELS  [by  H.  E.  Scudder:  Houghton, 
1878]  "  narrates  a  trip  to  Essex  County,  Mass.,  by  carriage.  An- 
thony Thacher's  quaint  narrativ  of  his  shipwrec,  the  stories  of 
Lady  Frankland  and  Flud  Ireson,  the  account  of  '  Lord '  Timothy 
Dexter,  and  the  '  Little  Broom-Merchant,'  ar  the  chief  ingredients 
of  the  ingenious  pot-pourri."     [Nation.  1550 

THE  CAPTAIN'S  BOAT,  [by  W:  make   up   a  tlioroly   nautical  story. 

O.   Stoddard:  N.  Y.,  Merrlam  Com-  They  go  fishing  and  sailing,  and  fig- 

pany,  1894.]    "  A  little  town  on  tlie  ure     in     two     dramatic     '  rescues,' 

shores  of  Long  Island  Sound  is  the  Avhich  bring  them  friends  and  work 

home  of  the  two  lads  whose  exper-  a    pleasant   change   in   their   lives." 

iences,  as  owners  of  the  Sea  Lion,  [Springfield  L"y  Bulletin.  C1570 

ALONG  THE  FLOKIDA  KEEF  [by  C:  F:  Holder:  Appleton, 
1892]  "  purports  to  be  a  record  of  the  experiences  of  several  bo^'s 
among  the  Florida  Keys,  with  a  story  as  a  sort  of  thread  ujjon 
which  ar  strung  nimierous  observations  of  the  varied  and  remark- 
able fauna  of  that  region.  The  story  is  of  trifling  importance, 
but  the  varied  adventures  of  the  boys,  while  sailing,  hunting,  and 
fishing,  ar  sufficiently  exciting  to  make  a  very  readable  book. 
The  natural  history  is  somewhat  of  the  sensational  order,  and 
would  probably  hav  benefited  by  revision  at  the  hands  of  some 
sober-minded  biologist.  Stil,  with  all  its  faults,  the  book  ^jreseuts 
a  picture  of  life  in  a  quarter  far  removed  from  the  experience 
of  most  boys,  and  they  wil  incidentally  learn  more  or  less  about 
creatm'es  not  to  be  found  in  zoological  gardens  and  which  most 
of  us  hardly  kno  even  by  name."     [Nation.  1620 

CANOE]\rATES.  [by  Kirk  Munroe:  Harper,  1892.]  "Two  boys 
make  a  trip  in  canoes  from  Key  West  along  the  Florida  Keef 
to  the  western  coast  of  the  mainland,  and  thence  throu  the  Ever- 
glades to  the  Atlantic.  They  hav  numerous  adventures  in  ter- 
I'ible  storms,  with  thieves,  coAvboys,  wild  animals,  and  huge  fish, 
and  especially  with  the  Seminoles,  of  whom  a  very  descriptiv  ac- 
count is  given.  There  ar  excellent  descriptions,  also,  of  the  pe- 
culiar scenery  of  the  Keys  and  Southern  Florida,  of  the  sponge- 
fishery,  and  of  life  in  a  lighthouse,  on  a  key,  in  a  station  on  the 
Atlantic  coast,  and  in  a  Redskin  village.  ]Much  information  is  given 
about  canoes,  their  construction  and  management.''     [Nation.  1625 

94 


GEOGRAPHY:— UNITED  STATES. 


BIG  CYPRESS  [by  Kirk  Munroe: 
Boston,  Wilde,  1894]  "  is  a  story  re- 
plete with  practical  information 
concerning  pioneer  life  in  a  little 
known  but  intensely  interesting  por- 
tion of  the  United  States.  It  out- 
lines the  processes  of  '  claiming.' 
'  filing,'  '  holding  down,'  and  '  prov- 
ing up'  a  homestead;  deals  with  the 
Seminoles  of  South  Florida;  de- 
scribes those  rare  animals,  the  man- 
atee and  the  crocodile;  tels  of 
'  wracking.'  or  beachcombing;  of  the 
raising  of  pineapples  and  cocoanuts, 
and  deals  with  a  score  of  other  sub- 
jects as  luiique  as  they  ar  interest- 
ing."    [Springfield  Library  Bulletin. 

C1626 

A  JOLLY  FELLOWSHIP  [by 
[Frank  R:  Stockton:  Scribner,  ISSO] 
"  is  the  record,  recited  by  the  elder, 
of  the  travels  of  two  boys,  aged  16 


and  14,  throu  the  South  and  the 
Bahamas.  The  addition  of  a  bright 
young  girl  to  the  party,  with  a  hint 
of  chaperonage  in  the  person  of  an 
erratically  sensible  mother  and  an 
eccentric  father,  lends  interest  and 
piquancy  to  the  adventures,  which 
ar  not  too  improbable.  The  mid- 
night scaling  of  Fort  Marion  by  the 
two  boys,  which  ended  by  their 
gladly  backing  out  of  the  scrape  af- 
ter being  badly  victimized  by  the 
Redskin  sentinels,  is  very  funny. 
So  if  the  farcical  attempt  of  the 
three  friends  to  restore  the  African 
queen  to  her  rights  in  the  African 
colony  of  Nassau.  There  is  a 
shipwrec  on  the  way  home,  but  of 
course  a  happy  conclusion.  The 
relations  between  the  boys  and 
Corny  ar  very  nicely  arranged." 
[Nation.  1628 


A  NEW-MEXICO  DAVID  [by  C:  F.  Lmiimis:  Scribner,  1891] 
"  givs,  in  a  number  of  short  stories  and  sketches  not  remarkable 
for  literary  quality,  a  clear  impression  of  some  aspects  of  life  iu 
Arizona  and  western  New  Mexico.  The  Tueblo  Kedmen  and  the 
Mexicans  of  mixed  Spanish  and  aboriginal  blood  ar  the  princi- 
pal figures,  and  unconsciously  we  absorb  a  good  deal  of  informa- 
tion about  them  and  about  their  savage  nebors,  the  Navajos, 
Apaches,  and  Comanches.  The  descriptions  of  New  Mexican 
games,  and  the  instruction  'How  to  Thro  the  Lasso,'  will  be 
hailed  by  boys."     [Nation.  1680 


THE  TALKING  LEAVES  [by  W: 
Osborn  Stoddard:  Harper,  1882]  "  is 
a  capital  Indian  story  of  Arizona, 
any  incident  of  which  might  be 
true;  and  the  whole  bears  evidence 
of  local  color  studied   on  the  spot. 


The  action  is  rapid  and  natural,  and 
the  story  thrilling,  yet  not  likely  to 
upset  the  imagination.  The  book  is 
a  good  one  for  boys  to  read,  and 
they  can't  help  liking  it."    [Nation. 

1685 


FIKST  BOOK  IN  AMERICxlN  HISTORY,  [by  E:  Eggleston: 
Appleton,  1889.]  "The  history  of  a  nation  is  very  difficult  to 
present  intelligibly  to  the  mind  of  a  child,  because  the  picturesque 
treatment  which  alone  is  suited  to  chOdren  is  not  easily  main- 
tained for  long  stretches  of  time,  and  because,  moreover,  children 

95 


BOOKS   FOR    TOE    YOUNG. 

lac  the  capacity  to  folio  a  continuous  narration,  covering  centuries, 
in  which  the  only  thread  of  connection  is  one  adapted  to  adults— 
the  continuity  of  national  life  and  the  sequence  of  cause  and 
effect.  For  these  reasons  children  do  not  care  for  national  his- 
tories, but  only  for  stories  of  special  events  and  personalities. 
]Mr.  Eggleston  folloes  the  right  plan  of  associating  history  with 
biografy.  He  selects  17  persons  whose  lives  approximately  cover 
the  whole  period — Columbus,  the  Cabots,  J:  Smith,  Franldin, 
Washington,  Jefferson,  Lincoln,  and  others — and  givs  a  remark- 
ably lucid  and  interesting  account  of  them.  The  knoledge  of  his- 
tory which  the  child  wil  obtain  from  a  book  like  this  is,  of  course, 
incomplete,  but  so  is  any  knoledge  which  he  can  obtain;  and  at 
any  rate  it  is  interesting,  and  wil  stay  by  him."     [Nation.       1700 

THE  STORY  OF  OUR  COimTRY  [by  Adeline  F..  Monroe: 
Boston,  Lockwood,  1876]  "  begins  with  Colmnbus,  and  takes  so 
very  genial  a  vue  of  him  that  the  effort  to  get  him  canonized 
seems  tardy  enuf.  No  villain,  indeed,  is  allowed  upon  the  scene 
from  beginniag  to  end  until  we  come  to  Arnold,  who  has  one  of 
the  28  chapters  all  to  himself.  The  author  retains  alike  the  myth 
of  Pocahontas'  rescue  of  Smith  and  the  little  hatchet  of  the  Father 
of  his  Country."     [Nation.  1705 

CHILDREN'S  STORIES  IN  A]\IERICAN  HISTORY,  [by  Hen- 
rietta Chiistian  Wright:  Scribner,  1886.]  "It  wil  not  do  to  giv 
children  erroneous  notions,  and  the  matter  is  not  helped  by  the 
book  being  written  in  the  childese  dialect.  The  facts  ar  loosely 
stated,  and  the  whole  effect  is  not  to  giv  children  precise  informa- 
tion, or  even  interesting  information,  but  merely  general  ideas, 
and  these  ar  sometimes  erroneous."'     [Atlantic.  1710 

THE  MAKING  OF  NEW  ENGLAND  [by  S:  Adams  Drake: 
Scribner,  1886]  "is  the  story  in  outline  to  the  confederacy  of  the 
colonies  in  164:^>.  The  book  is  remarkable  for  its  clear  arrange- 
ment, simple  style,  and  the  wel-sustained  interest  of  the  narrativ. 
The  author  avoids  burdening  his  story  with  many  dry  details  by 
putting  them  in  notes  at  the  end  of  each  chapter.  The  pictures 
wel  illustrate  the  text."     [Nation.  1715 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK  [by  C:  Burr 
Todd:  Putnam,  188  ]  "is  rather  a  narrativ  of  the  growth  of  the 
city  than  a  study  of  municipal  development.     It  has  bits  of  an- 

96 


HISTORY :— UNITED   STATES. 


tiquarianism  and  sketches  of  events  which  hav  taken  place  within 
the  limits  of  the  city,  but  one  cannot  read  sucli  a  book  without 
being  struc  by  the  absence  of  any  strong  civic  independence  or 
self  consciousness.  The  city  seems  to  hav  had  little  really  individ- 
ual existence."     [Atlantic.  172,5 


THE  CHIEF'S  DAUGHTER  [Par- 
ker, 1859]  "  describes  the  expedition 
under  Newport  in  1606,  and  involvs, 
of  course,  a  detail  of  the  struggles 
and  difficulties  of  the  settlers  in 
maintaining  themselvs  in  the  infant 
colony.  It  is  quietly  and  pleasantly 
written,  and  contains  in  a  short  ap- 
pendix, references  to  the  principal 
authorities  consulted."  [Literary 
Gazette.  625 

COLONIAL,  BOY,  A.  [by  Nellie  (Bless- 
ing) Eyster:  Lothrop,  1889.]  "  An  old 
house  in  Frederick,  full  of  antiquities, 
Is  the  scene  of  the  story,  and  there  ar 
two  heroes,  a  schoolboy  of  today  and 
a  lad,  the  son  of  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers. The  former  discovers  a  diary  of 
the  latter,  giving  incidents  in  the  history 
of  the  first  few  months  of  the  colony. 
This  diary,  in  which  the  author  repro- 
duces the  spirit,  tho  hardly  the  quaint 
style  of  those  days,  cannot  fail  to 
awaken  an  interest  in  a  somewhat  un- 
familiar part  of  our  early  annals.  The 
best  chapter,  however,  is  that  which 
describes  an  unexpected  visit  to  Gen. 
and  Mrs.  Washington  at  Mt.  Vernon, 
which  is  a  charming  piece  of  writing." 
[Nation.  630 

CAPT.  J:  SaOTH.  [by  C:  Dudley 
Warner:  Holt,  1881.]  "The  figure  of 
Capt.  Smith  combines,  in  a  rare  degree, 
the  qualities  of  picturesqueness  and  his- 
toric importance,  and  Mr.  Warner,  with- 
out shirking  the  historically  import- 
ant (and  comparativly  uninteresting)  in- 


cidents in  Smith's  career,  has  a  keen 
eye  to  the  humorous  side  of  them,  and 
describes  them  with  the  intuitive  skil 
of  a  humorist.  His  narrativ  of  Smith's 
American  experiences  rests,  of  course, 
on  Mr.  Deane's  annotated  edition  of 
Smith's  own  accounts,  which  had  al- 
ready been  systematically  arranged,  and 
to  some  extent  popularized,  by  Prof. 
Henry  Adams.  But  Mr.  Warner's  book 
wil,  from  its  form,  be  read  far  more 
widely  than  Mr.  Adams'  article,  for  it 
humorizes,  as  wel  as  popularizes,  the 
amusing  tale  of  Smith's  mendacity  and 
Pocahontas'  fame.  He  is  also  in  a 
position  to  mention  and  to  refute  the 
rebutting  evidence  brot  in  after  Messrs. 
Deane  and  Adams'  case  was  closed." 
[Nation.  G40 

LIFE  OF  J:  SMITH  [by  C:  Kittredge 
True:  Cin'ti,  Phillips,  1882]  "may  be 
recommended  to  those  who  wish  this 
best  class  of  books  for  boys— heroic  bi- 
ography. The  story  of  Smith  and  Poca- 
hontas, we  notice,  is  told  in  the  old 
way,  with  no  intimation  that  it  is  a 
fable.  It  is  all  right  to  relate  such 
stories,  but  the  reader  should  be  cau- 
tioned about  them  in  a  note."  [Na- 
tion. 641 
1680. 
G  R  E  A  T-G  RAN  DMOTHER'S 
GIRLS  IN  NEW  MEXICO  [by  E.. 
(W.)  Champney:  Estes,  1888]  "  is 
to  be  commended,  not  only  as  an 
interesting  and  wholesom  story,  but 
also  as  a  work  in  which  is  manifest 


97 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOrTvu. 


a  praiseworthy  historic  accuracy. 
The  authorities  cited  include  nearly 
all  the  important  writers  in  English 
upon  New  Mexico  (tho  Bandelier, 
the  greatest  of  them  all,  is  not  re- 
ferred to) ;  and  from  their  works, 
and  from  those  of  a  few  Mexican 
writers,  she  has  drawn  an  abund- 
ance of  picturesq  and  dramatic  ma- 
terial for  the  historic  framework 
around  which  her  story  is  built. 
Added  to  this  equipment  for  her 
task,  she  has  traveled  throu,  and 
studied  intelligently,  the  region 
which  she  describes.  The  result  is 
both  pleasing  and  instructiv — a  ro- 
mantic narrativ  that  has  the  cruel- 
ties of  the  Spaniards  and  the  labors 
of  the  missionaries  for  its  theme, 
and  for  its  climax  the  revolt  of 
1680."     [Critic.  877 

1704. 
G  R  E  A  T-G  RAN  DMOTHER'S 
GIRLS  IN  NEW  PRANCE,  [by  E.. 
(Williams)  Champney:  Estes,  1887.] 
"  Those  who  ar  acquainted  with  the 
extreme  grisliness  of  the  Deerfield 
episode  may  be  surprised  to  learn 
that  a  charming  tale  for  young 
people  has  been  founded  upon  it. 
The  strange  story  of  the  captivity 
of  Eunice  Williams  is  here  related 
by  a  fictitious  character,  one  Sub- 
mit Dare,  who  is  in  fact  the  heroin 
of  a  book  good  enuf  to  make  us 
wish  it  wer  better."     [Critic.  967 

TWICE  TAKEN  [by  C:  W.  Hall:  Bos- 
tou,  Lee,  1867]  deals  with  the  same 
events.  1015 

PATHFINDER,  The.  [by  Ja.  Fenimore 
Cooper,  Lea,  1840.]  "  We  hav  read  this 
work  with  au  interest  and  a  delight 
wliich  we   hav   no    terms   to    express.    It 


is  a  true  work  of  genius.  •.  .  These  vol- 
umes wil  renew  and  increase  all  the  old 
admiration  which  the  author's  earlier 
works  awakened.  Then,  too,  the  sub- 
ject—the wild  woods  and  waters  of  our 
country— the  old  border  warfare — the 
Mingoes  and  Delawares— the  reader's  old 
acquaintance,  Chingachgook,  the  Mohican 
chief— and  last,  but  more  than  all.  Natty 
Bumpo,  the  veritable  Leatherstocking, 
with  his  long  rifle,  KiUdeer,  a  personage 
more  familiar,  more  vividly  and  truly 
real  to  our  imaginations  and  affections 
than  nineteen-twentieths  of  the  living 
men  of  flesh  and  blood  of  our  daily  ac- 
quaintance. The  Pathfinder  of  these  vol- 
vmies  is  Leatherstocking,  in  the  prime  of 
manhood,  acting  as  a  scout  and  guide 
for  one  of  the  English  regiments  gar- 
risoned on  the  shores  of  Lake  Ontario, 
He  is  here  freshly  and  clearly  before 
us,  the  same  inimitable  being,  with  all 
his  individual  traits,  with  absolute  iden- 
tity of  person,  just  what  he  whom  we 
knew  so  perfectly  when  he  was  intro- 
duced to  us  in  the  earlier  and  later 
periods  of  his  life,  should  be  at  the  age 
of  forty.  And  the  special  charm  of  the 
whole  is  that  we  hav  him  in  an  en- 
tirely new  light— Natty  in  love!  and  most 
admirably  is  he  drawn.  He  is  just  what 
he  should  be  in  love,  just  what  nobody 
but  he  could  be.  The  conception  and  the 
execution  ar  perfect;  and  the  whole  rep- 
resentation is  instinct  with  a  pathos,  a 
moral  beauty  and  sublimity,  equally 
touching  and  ennobling  in  its  effect  upon 
our  mind.  As  to  the  rest,  the  peculiar- 
ities of  Natty's  most  original  character 
ar  charmingly  brot  out  by  the  con- 
tact into  which  he  is  thrown  "with  a 
positiv  and  dogmatical  old  salt-water 
sailor,    who    had    wandered    up    to    the 


98 


HISTORY:— UNITED   STATES. 


shores  and  upon  the  bosom  of  a  thing 
so  incomprehensible  to  him  as  a  fresh- 
water sea."  [New  York  Review.] — "  The 
work  is  wel  iwritten,  and  filled  with  in- 
cident. .  .  Natty  Bumpo  is  a  character 
that  can  never  grow  stale.  He  is  one 
of  nature's  philosophers.  There  is  a 
beautiful  simplicity  in  his  actions,  and 
a  fountain  of  fresh,  free  thot  in  his 
words  which  wil  always  excite  emotion 
and  interest."    [Southern  Lit.  Mess.  1020 

1757. 
LAST  OF  THE  MOHICANS,  The.  [by 
Ja.  Fenimore  Cooper:  1838.]  "  Among 
books  which  wil  always  remain  with 
everybody,  '  The  Last  of  the  Mohicans  ' 
takes,  a  foremost  place.  Who  has  for- 
gotten Uncas,  or  Maqua  le  Subtil,  or 
the  stately  and  sententious  Chingach- 
gook,  or  above  all,  Hawkeye,  most  real 
of  American  creations  of  fancy,  and  real 
in  so  many  aspects,  as  the  Pat"hfinder, 
as  Leatherstocking,  as  La  Longue  Car- 
abine? Who  has  not  Killdeer  in  an  im- 
aginary gun-rac,  and  hanging  on  a  peg 
in  the  store-house  of  memory  the 
blanket  which  the  Delaware  chief  threw 
bac  that  he  might  display  the  tortoise  on 
his  breast  to  his  ancient  tribe?  Who  has 
not  seen  in  air-drawn  pictures  the  cav- 
ern, with  the  sassafras  screen,  behind 
which  the  '  Palefaces  '  lurked  while  the 
deadly  fight  raged  between  the  Mohic- 
ans and  the  Mingoes,  who  had  '  dared  to 
set  the  print  of  their  moccasins  in  the 
woods  '  which  once  owned  the  sway  of 
the  Delaware  tribe;  the  grave  of  Cora, 
beneath  the  young  pines;  the  dead  Saga- 
more, attired  in  the  full-dress  of  his 
tribe  and  rank,  with  the  children  of  the 
Lenape  listening  for  the  lament  of  the 
stern  old  warrior,  whose  lips  remain 
silent,  as  he  looks  his  last  on  Uncas?  " 


[Spectator.]—"  In  painting  Indian  scenes 
of  stil  life,  or  in  delineating  the  warrior 
and  hunter,  the  battle  or  the  chase,  our 
novelist,  as  he  is  the  first  who  seized 
upon  subjects  so  full  of  interest  for  the 
romancer,  so  is  he  alone  and  unrivaled 
in  this  branch  of  his  art.  The  forest, 
ocean,  and  camp  constitute  the  legiti- 
mate empire  of  Mr.  Cooper's  genius.  At 
his  bidding  the  savage  warrior,  the  fear- 
less seaman,  the  gallant  soldier  move, 
speak  and  act  with  wonderful  reality. 
.  .  .  Cooper  unfolded  the  mysteries  of 
the  pathless  wilderness,  snatched  its 
nativ  lords  from  the  oblivion  into  which 
they  wer  sinking,  and  bade  them  liv, 
before  the  eyes  of  the  admiring  world, 
in  all  the  poetry  and  romance  of  their 
characters.  The  magic  of  his  pen  has 
invested  the  forest  with  an  interest  such 
as  genius  can  alone  create;  he  has  so 
portrayed  the  character  of  a  primitiv 
people,  who  wer  men  until  the  contact 
of  civilization  made  them  brutes,  that, 
when  they  shal  at  length  liv  only  in  the 
page  of  history,  it  is  alone  throu  the 
inspired  pen  of  the  novelist  that  future 
ages  wil  most  delight  to  contemplate 
their  character.  Both  Scott  and  Cooper 
hav  thrown  an  exaggerated  poetic  inter- 
est around  the  characters  they  most 
loved  to  draw;— the  rude  Hilander  and 
the  savage  of  the  American  wilds  ar, 
perhaps,  equally  indebted  to  the  imagi- 
nation of  the  novelist  for  the  peculiar 
charms  with  which  they  ar  invested." 
[So.  Lit.  Messenger.  1047 

^YITH  WOLFE  IN  CANADA,  [by  G: 
Alfred  Henty:  Scribuer,  1886.]  "The 
hero,  a  lad  of  17,  is  an  aide  of  Wash- 
ington in  the  Braddock  expedition  and 
a  captain  of  scouts  during  the  later  op- 
erations on  Lakes  George  and  Cham- 
plain.    In   the    last   100   pages   only  the 


99 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUKG. 


story  of  the  capture  of  Quebec  by  Wolfe 
is  told,  the  young  captain  being  the 
leader  of  the  party  first  scaling  the 
Hights  of  Abraham.  The  book  is  thoroly 
interesting,  and  wil  giv  the  reader  a 
good  idea  of  the  military  events  pre- 
ceding the  conquest  of  Canada."  [Na- 
tion. 1065 
RED  ROVER,  The.  [by  Ja.  Fenimore 
Cooper:  Phil'a,  Carey,  1827.]  "The 
opening  scene  is  at  Newport,  on  a  day 
of  mingled  rejoicing  and  sorro  at  the 
capture  of  Quebec  and  the  fall  of  Wolfe. 
A  mysterious-looking  vessel,  reputed  to 
be  a  slaver,  is  anchored  in  the  outer 
harbor,  and  becomes  an  object  of  specu- 
lation to  three  individuals  who  ar  early 
introduced."    [North    Am.    Review.    1080 

WYANDOTTE       [by      Ja.       Fenimore 
Cooper    (1789-1S51):    Bentley,    1843]    "  de- 


sturdy.  God-fearing  settlers,  and  the 
quaint  simplicity  of  their  home  life, 
into  which  the  war  with  its  attend- 
ant horrors  made  such  a  terrible 
break.  It  is  tenderly  and  sweetly 
told  and  cannot  fail  to  interest  the 
youthful  reader."  [Boston  "  Lit. 
World."  1390 

1779  Sept. 
THE  PILOT,  [by  Ja.  Fenimore  Cooper 
(1789-1851):  N.  Y.,  1823.]  "The  scene  is 
almost  always  on  the  ocean,  and  the 
principal  characters  ar  seamen;  of  course 
a  very  large  and  valuable  part  of  the 
book  must  lose  much  of  its  charm  with 
those  who  hav  no  acquaintance  with  sea 
terms  or  sea  manners.  From  this  cir- 
cumstance it  may  not  be  universally 
preferred  to  the  Pioneers  or  the  Spy; 
but  we  think  it  richer  than  either  in 
passages  of  original  and  true  humor,  of 
scribes    the    fortunes    of    Captain    Wil-      genuin   pathos,   and  of  just  and  natural 


loughby  and  his  family,  who  hav  set- 
tled at  the  Knoll,  a  hilloc  that  rose 
out  of  the  pond  in  the  form  of  a  little 
rocky  iland.  It  is  minutely  described, 
but  without  fatiguing  you,  for  every 
sentence  and  touch  brings  out  a  point 
of  the  tempting  scene.  The  spot  is  also 
chosen  by  the  settler,  partly  as  being 
easily  defended  against  any  hostil  at- 
tempt which  the  savages  might  med- 
itate, being  near  the  Susquehanna,  and 
at  that  period  on  the  outskirts  of  civ- 
ilization. Our  readers  may  guess  from 
these  hints  that  the  fiction  is  one  not 
only  of  much  domestic  interest  but  of 
exciting  incident."  [Monthly  Re- 
view. 1225 
PAUL  AND  PERSIS  [by  M..  E. 
Brush:  Lee,  18S2]  "  is  a  story  of 
Revolutionary  times,  the  scene  being 
laid  in  the  Mohawk  Valley.  It  givs 
a  vivid  and  charming  picture  of  the 


eloquence.  The  language  is  uniformly 
good,  and  suited  in  its  character  to  the 
occasion,  and  few  books  exhibit  more 
accurate  and  felicitous  sketching  of  hu- 
man character  and  conduct,  or  more 
graphic  pictures  of  the  beauty  or  terrors 
of  inanimate  nature.  '  Long  Tom  '  is 
perfectly  original,  and  is  drawn  to  the 
life.  He  is  one  of  a  class  of  men  who  ar 
peculiar,  not  merely  to  this  country,  but 
to  a  very  small  part  of  our  country;  who 
leave  the  little  iland,  which  cradled  them 
among  the  waves,  and  wander  over  the 
ocean,  until  it  is  to  them  as  a  home,  and 
dry  land  becomes  a  strange  thing;— and 
his  person,  habits,  tastes,  and  thots  ar 
portrayed  with  great  power  and  success. 
The  evolutions  on  shipboard  in  storm  and 
danger,  and  the  appearance  of  the  sea, 
convulsed  and  foaming  under  the  lash 
of  the  tempest,  ar  all  described  with 
the    same    remarkable    skil    and    effect." 


100 


HISTORY:— UNITED   STATES. 


[U.  S.  Lit.  Gazette.]—"  The  character  of 
Paul  Jones  Is  drawn  to  admiration.  The 
description  of  his  conduct,  firm,  conii- 
dent,  and  collected,  whilst  guiding  the 
vessel  of  Captain  Munson  throu  the  sur- 
rounding dangers,  breasting  the  angry 
waters,  now  bounding  over  a  little  space 
of  clear  sea,  and  again  almost  within 
the  dangerous  fury  of  the  breakers, 
evinces  the  pen  of  a  master,  and  the 
whole  picture  is  strong  and  natural." 
[N.  Y.  Mirror.  1400 

1780. 
THE  SPY.  [by  Ja.  Fenimore  Cooper 
(1789-1850):  N.  Y.,  1821.]  "The  narrativ 
turns  on  the  fortunes  of  Henry  Whar- 
ton, a  captain  in  the  royal  army,  who 
imprudently  visits  his  father's  family 
at  West  Chester  (the  neutral  ground)  in 
disguise,  and  there  falls  into  the  hands 
of  an  American  party  under  the  com- 
mand of  Major  Dunwoodie,  his  sister's 
lover  and  his  own  friend.  He  is  tried 
and  condemned  as  a  spy,  but  succeeds 
in  making  his  escape  by  the  assistance 
of  Harvey  Birch,  the  pedler,  himself  a 
British  spy,  and  with  the  connivance  of 
'  Washington,  who,  under  the  assumed 
character  of  Harper,  had  been  an  inmate 
at  the  house  of  Wharton's  father  at  the 
time  of  the  stolen  visit,  and  was  firmly 
convinced  of  the  young  man's  innocent 
intentions.  Harvey  Birch,  by  whose 
mysterious  agency  every  important  inci- 
dent in  the  book  is  more  or  less  affected, 
tbo  a  convicted  spy  of  the  enemy,  with 
a  price  set  upon  his  head,  turns  out  in 
the  sequel  to  hav  been  all  along  in 
secret  the  confidential  and  trusty  agent 
of  Washington.  This  finely  conceived 
character,  on  whom  the  interest  of  the 
narrativ  mainly  depends,  is  not  without 
historical   foundation."     [North   Am.    Re- 


view.]—" The  conception  of  the  Spy,  as 
a  character,  was  a  noble  one.  A  patriot 
in  the  humblest  condition  of  life, — almost 
wholy  motivless  unless  for  his  country, 
—enduring  the  persecutions  of  friends, 
the  hate  of  enemies- doomed  by  both 
parties  to  the  gallows — enduring  all  in 
secret,  without  a  murmur,— without  a 
word,  when  a  word  might  hav  saved  him, 
—all  for  his  country;  and  all,  under  the 
palsying  conviction,  not  only  that  his 
country  could  not  reward  him,  but  that 
in  all  probability  the  secret  of  his  pat- 
riotism must  perish  with  him,  and  noth- 
ing survive  but  that  obloquy  under 
which  he  was  stil  content  to  liv  and 
labor.  It  does  not  lessen  the  value  of 
such  a  novel,  nor  the  ideal  truth  of  such 
a  conception,  that  such  a  character  is 
not  often  to  be  found.  It  is  sufficiently 
true  if  it  wins  our  sympathies  and 
commands  our  respect.  This  is  al- 
ways the  purpos  of  the  ideal,  which,  if 
it  can  effect  such  results,  becomes  at 
once  a  model  and  a  reality.  The  char- 
acter of  the  '  Spy  '  is  not  the  only 
good  one  of  the  book.  Lawton  and  Sit- 
greaves  ar  both  good  conceptions,  tho 
rather  exaggerated  ones.  Lawton  was 
somewhat  too  burly  a  Virginian,  and 
his  appetite  was  too  strong  an  ingred- 
ient in  his  chivalry."  [W:  G.  Simms.]— 
'  The  Spy  '  "  was  not  merely  a  triumph, 
—it  was  a  revelation,  for  it  showed  that 
our  society  and  history,  young  as  they 
wer,  could  furnish  characters  and  in- 
cidents for  the  most  Inviting  form  of 
romance.  There  was  a  truthfulness  about 
it  which  everybody  could  feel.  And  yet 
there  was  a  skilful  grouping  of  charac- 
ters, a  happy  contrast  of  situations  and 
interests,  an  intermingling  of  grave  and 
gay,  of  individual  eccentricities  and  nat- 


101 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


ural  feeling,  a  life  in  the  narrativ  and 
a  graphic  power  in  the  descriptions 
which,  in  spite  of  some  commonplace,  and 
some  defects  in  the  artistic  arrangement 
of  the  plot,  raised  it,  at  once,  to  the 
first  class  among  ■works  of  the  imagina- 
tion. But  its  peculiar  characteristic,  and 
to  which  it  oes,  above  all  others,  its 
rank  as  a  work  of  invention,  was  the 
character  of  Harvey  Birch."  [Homes  of 
American  Authors.  1425 

BOYS  AND  GIRLS  OF  THE  REVOLU- 
TION, The  [Lippincott,  1876]  •'  con- 
sists of  stories  gathered  from  old  jour- 
nals, diaries  and  letters.  Most  of  them 
ar,  so  far  as  we  kno,  new,  and  they  ar 
certainly  welcome.  There  is  consider- 
able inequality  in  the  working  up;  all 
ar  graphic  and  interesting,  but  some 
run  overmuch  into  sentiment  and  what 
is  called  '  newspaper  English,'  such  as 
'  glorious  nobleness  of  this  night's  deeds.' 
Again,  the  term  '  Boys  and  Girls  '  is  made 
to  include  young  men  and  women.  These 
ar  slight  faults,  however,  and  the  book 
as  a  whole  deservs  to  be  popular.  One 
of  the  best  and  truest  to  the  title  is 
'  The  Little  Black-eyed  Rebel.'  "  [Na- 
tion. 1612 

THE  BOYS  OF  '76.  [by  C:  Carleton 
Coffin:  Harper,  1876.]  "An  excellent 
Idea  has  been  admirably  carried  out. 
Taking-  four  young  patriots,  the  au- 
thor narrates  their  various  adven- 
tures and  experiences;  and  as  one 
or  other  of  them  participated  in  each 
of  the  campaigns  and  battles,  the 
record  makes  a  complete  military 
history  of  that  memorable  struggle. 
Tho  linked  with  partly  fictitious  per- 
sons, the  descriptions  of  battles  ar 
systematic  and  historically  accurate 


as  wel  as  vigorous,  animated,  and 
picturesque;  and  the  introduction  of 
the  personal  element  enables  the  au- 
thor to  bring  in  naturally  many 
things  which  illustrate  the  society, 
domestic  life,  and  industries  of  the 
period.  .  .  The  story  of  the  Revolu- 
tion has  never  been  more  agreeably 
told.  The  illustrations,  of  which 
there  ar  300,  comprise  numerous 
maps,  reproductions  of  contempor- 
ary engravings,  portraits  of  eminent 
persons  connected  with  the  struggle, 
pictures  of  historic  houses  and 
scenes,    etc."     [Appleton's.  1613 

PETER  AND  POLLY,  [by  '  Marian 
Douglas,  '  i.  e.,  Annie  Douglas  (Green) 
Robinson  (1842-):  Boston,  Osgood,  1876.] 
"  Peter  and  Polly  ar  motherless  twins, 
mere  children  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
war  when  the  story  opens,  and  when 
they  ar  sent  by  their  father  to  an  un- 
known aunt  in  New  Hampshire,  to 
whose  care  he  entrusts  them,  himself 
at  the  same  time  joining  the  Continen- 
tal army.  Their  long  journey  from 
Charlestown  to  her  aunt's  distant  home, 
their  somewhat  loveless  and  unhappy 
life  there,  Peter's  enlistment  and  de- 
parture for  the  army  a  few  years  later, 
and  finally  the  close  of  the  war,  the  re- 
turn of  the  father  and  the  reunion  of 
the  twins,  ar  told  in  a  simple  and  attrac- 
tiv  manner.  The  story  is  as  plain  and 
unpretending  as  the  times  and  manners 
of  which  it  treats,  and  a  story  of  this 
kind  is  as  restful  and  as  delightful  as  an 
hour  spent  among  the  furniture  and  fur- 
nishings of  olden  times,  the  spinnets  and 
spinning  wheels,  the  tall  does,  oaken 
cupboards,  and  rush-bottomed  chaii's 
of  our  grandmothers.  In  the  opening 
chapter   only,   tho   style   is   labored,    but 


102 


HISTORY:— UNITED   STATES. 


all    traces   of   this    ar   lost    as    the    story 
progresses."    [Library   Table.  1615 

THE  HUNDRED  BOSTON  ORA- 
TORS, [by  Ja.  Spear  Loring:  Boston, 
Jewett,  1852.]  "  It  is  pleasant  to  turn 
over  Mr.  Loring's  gossiping  pages.  He 
writes  con  amore,  to  be  sure,  with  a 
pen  full  of  panegyric,  which  even  pat- 
riotism wearies  of  in  at  the  hundredth 
repetition;  but  we  ar  accustomed  in 
such  chronicles  to  a  little  vague  en- 
thusiasm, remembering  that  if  there  wer 
not  a  good  deal  of  this  commodity,  no 
man  could  get  throu  the  labors  of  cel- 
ebrating so  large  a  number  of  mixed 
notables  and  mediocrities.  \'ou  cannot 
expect  the  critical  powers  of  an  Aris- 
totle to  be  applied  to  such  an  under- 
taking. The  man  who  puts  his  foot 
into  such  a  thing  wil  not  boggle  at  a 
puff.  Delightful  ar  the  unreservd  com- 
munications of  the  genuln  antiquarian. 
Facts  ar  facts  in  his  eyes,  and  one 
pretty  much  of  the  same  importance 
as  another.  Every  date  is  an  era. 
Every  piece  of  prose  broken  into  irreg- 
ular lines  is  poetry.  It  is  astonishing 
how  much  a  certain  species  of  tomb- 
stone verse  enters  into  the  New  Eng- 
land chronicles.  The  poetic  genius  has 
produced  no  Spensers  or  Milton  s  in  that 
region;  but  wel-ni  every  country  school- 
master and  parish  clergyman  has  paid 
the  muse  the  compliment  of  recording 
his  emotions  in  doggerel."  [Literary 
World.  1640 

WASHINGTON,  [by  Caroline  Matilda 
(Stansbury)  Kirkland  (1801-64):  Apple- 
ton,  1857.]  "  This  work  is  intended  es- 
pecially for  young  readers;  but  many 
of  every  age  wil  enjoy  it  more  than 
any  other  life  of  Washington.  The  only 
mark  of  its  peculiar  adaptation   to   the 


young  is  the  omission  of  many  '  details 
of  battle  and  statesmanship,  the  cruel- 
ties of  war  and  politics,'  and  the  inser- 
tion in  their  stead  of  numerous  personal 
anecdotes,  not  a  few  of  which  now 
first  see  the  light.  The  writer  has  suc- 
ceeded better  than  any  other  biographer 
in  vivifying  the  image  and  memory  of 
Washington,  and  had  the  book  been 
written  by  a  member  of  his  own  family, 
it  could  hardly  hav  furnished  a  more 
thoroly  lifelike  exhibition."  [North 
Am.  Review.]— A  work  having  the  same 
claims  to  attention  as  those  mentioned 
above,  but  written  by  an  author  possess- 
ing a  larger  store  of  information,  and 
better  judgment  in  the  choice  of  in- 
cidents to  be  described,  is  the  Life  of 
Washington  by  H.  E.  Scudder,  Hough- 
ton, 1890.  1645 

THE  COLONIAL  CAVALIER, 
[by  Maud  Wilder  Goodwin:  New- 
York,  Lovell,  1894.]  "  As  far  as  the 
provinces  of  the  New  World  could 
represent  the  mother  country,  Vir- 
g-inia  and  Maryland  reflected  the 
Cavaliers  as  Massachusetts  and 
Connecticut  reflected  the  Puritans. 
Throu  local  gossip  and  homely  de- 
tails of  life  and  customs,  this  little 
volume  offers  a  sense  of  fireside  in- 
timacy with  the  Colonial  Cavalier, 
with  his  open-handed  hospitality, 
his  recless  profusion,  his  chivalry 
to  women,  his  quic-tempered, 
sword-thrusting  honor,  his  lace 
ruffles,  buckles,  jewels  and  feath- 
ers. Givs  glimpses  of  the  ancestry 
of  the  Washingtons,  Jeffersons, 
Madisons,  Lees,  etc.  Appendix 
givs  list  of  authorities  on  Southern 
colonial  history."  [Springfield  Li- 
brary  Bulletin.  H1653 

SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  OLD  N"BW  ENG- 
LAND), [by  Alice  Morse  Earle:  Scrib- 
ner,    1894.]    "  The  author's  style  is   de- 


103 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


lightful,  and  almost  every  page  is  in- 
teresting. Slie  devotes  this  volume  to 
the  social  side  of  the  Puritan's  life, 
treating  child-life,  courtship  and  mar- 
riage, domestic  service,  home  interiors, 
table  plenishings.  We  ride  with  her  on 
turnpikes  and  understand  the  ways  of 
travel  and  the  mysteries  of  the  tavern. 
With  bright  colors  she  shos  that  the 
inborn  love  of  the  Teutonic  races  for 
holidays  and  festivals  could  not  be  re- 
pressed even  by  Judaistic  Puritanism. 
'  Raiment  and  Vesture '  ar  displayed 
before  us,  and  doctors  and  patients  wel 
described.  .  .  To  sho  her  willingness  to 
face  the  facts  usually  ignored  by  glo- 
rifiers  of  the  Yankee  Puritans,  the  au- 
thor devotes  one  or  two  pages  to  the 
New  England  custom  of  '  bundling,'  but 
does  not  seem  to  kno  how  widely  pre- 
valent it  was.  Almost  as  a  matter  of 
course  she  refers  it  to  the  nauty  nebors 
of  the  Yankees,  evidently  not  thinking 
it  possible  that  it  should  hav  come  from 
England,  tho  in  reality  it  had  been 
notoriously  prevalent  for  centuries  on 
all  the  coasts  of  northwestern  Europe." 
[Critic.  1655 

ON  THE  FRONTIER  [by  W: 
Osborn  Stoddard:  London,  Hodder, 
1894]  "  deals  with  the  life  of  the 
settlers  and  redmen  in  what  was 
the  Wild  West  in  Washington's 
time.  The  author  has  respected 
the  record  of  history,  and  has  made 
conscientious  preparation  of  the 
ground  of  his  story.  His  frontiers- 
men ar  fine  sturdy  fellos  with 
plenty  of  grit,  and  his  pictures  of 
their  life  on  the  borders  of  the 
Iroquois  country  ar  uncommonly 
spii-ited."     [Saturday    Rev.  H1657 

STORIES  OF  THE  PRAIRIE, 
[by  Ja.  Fenimore  Cooper:  Hurd, 
1868.]     "  For   boys   of  a   pretty   good 


age  this  book  is  a  desirable  one. 
It  consists  of  the  most  adventurous 
and  exciting  incidents  of  the  most 
interesting  of  the  prairie  stories, 
separated  from  tho  context.  They 
are  all  the  better,  perhaps,  for  the 
excision,  whether  we  think  of  young 
readers  or  old.  The  wearisom  re- 
flections of  the  novelist,  which  ar  so 
much  dead  wood,  the  reader  of  these 
razeed  stories  wholy  escapes.  And 
for  the  rest,  the  rapid  movement  of 
these  tales,  the  stirring  character  of 
the  incidents,  the  courage  and  ready 
resource  of  the  actors,  cannot  fail 
to  interest  boys  and  be  of  service  to 
them.  Cooper,  whatever  else  mayjDe 
said  of  him,  was  certainly  a  strait- 
forward,  manly  man,  without  a 
really  unsound  streak  in  him."  [Na- 
tion. H1659 

EAST  AND  WEST  [by  E:  E. 
Hale:  Cassell,  1892]  "  is  sure  to  in- 
terest young  readers.  It  narrates 
the  experience  of  two  young  Salem 
people  who  separately  and  in  dif- 
ferent ways  found  themselves  in 
the  Northwest  Territory  when  first 
occupied.  The  bright  picture  of 
Salem  life  with  which  it  opens  is 
succeeded  by  spirited  sketches  of 
frontier  experience  and  Indian  fif- 
ing."    [Atlantic.  H1672 

NIGHTS  IN  A  BLOCK  HOUSE, 
[by  H:  C.  Watson:  Lippincott,  1852.] 
"  So  long  as  we  can  separate  dar- 
ing deeds  from  the  th5ts  of  the 
suffering  with  which  they  ar  con- 
nected, they  excite  admiration. 
Wel  do  we  remember  the  time,  in 
our  boyish  days,  when  a  book  like 
this  would  fix  us  in  the  chimney 
corner,  where  we  took  sides  with 
the  bold  pioneer  in  his  strifes  with 
the  dreaded  '  Indians.'  But  now  we 
think  of  '  the  poor  Indian.'     We  feel 


104 


HISTORY:— UNITED   STATES. 


that  only  in  a  most  imperfect  state 
of  society  can  such  scenes  as  those 
described    in    this   book   be    enacted. 
Blood  and   murder  ar   familiar   top- 
ics,— weapons  of  death  ar  gleaming 
continually,    and   make   us    long   for 
the   day   when   they   shal    be   every- 
where supplanted  by  the  plowshare 
and  pruning  hook.     Stil,  if  we  must 
kno  how    evil  and  foolish  men   hav 
been,  it  may  as  wel  be  throu  inter- 
esting  forms;   and   such   we   hav   in 
the  book  before  us.     The  stories  ar 
told   with   a   good   deal   of  dramatic 
vigor, — the    language    of    the    times 
and    places    is    put    into    the   actor's 
mouth,  and  the  whole  forms  an  ex- 
citing   account    of    border    struggles 
and    dangers."       [Norton's    Lit.    Ga- 
zette. 1677 
As  collateral   reading:— 
jMEN    of    the    backwoods,     The. 
[by    "  Ascott   Ro.    Hope,"    i.    e.,    A.    Ro. 
H.     Moncrieff:     N.     Y.,     Dutton,     1880.] 
"  Most  of  the  good  stories  of  early  bac- 
woods    life    ar   collected   in   this   volume 
and   retold   in    an    entertaining    manner. 
The  hook  may  be  read  with  interest  by 
any  one  who  loves  stories  of  adventures 
in    the   wilderness.    The    author    has    di- 
vided   the   volume    into    two    parts,    the 
first  of  which    is  devoted  to  the  white 
men,    the   second   to   the   Redskins:    and 
without    observing    an    exact    historical 
order,   he   has   so   arranged   his   sketches 
as  to  trace  throu  the  half  century  during 
which  a  constant  struggle  was  going  on 
with  the  western  savages,   the  principal 
events   which   characterized  it   from   the 
fli-st   appearance    of   the    settlers   in    the 
valley  of  Ohio,  to  the  fall  of  Tecumseh. 
The  concluding  chapters  glv  a  great  deal 
of  valuable  information    about  the  red- 
man's    religion,    manners,    and    ordinary 
way  of  life,  which  has  apparently  been 
derived  from  books  of  authority."    [Na- 
tion. 1680 


THE    WINTER    LODGE,    [by    Ja. 
Weir:     Lippincott,    1S54.]     "  It    is    a 
story  founded  upon  Indian  warfare 
and   the   perils   of  a  frontier   settle- 
ment    in     Kentucky.      One     of     the 
early   chapters   of   the   book   givs    a 
graphic     description    of    the     Mam- 
moth    Cave."       [Norton's     Lit.     Ga- 
zette. H1716 
As  collateral  reading: — 
DANIEL   BOONE,    AND    THE    HUNT- 
ERS OF  KENTUCKY,    [by  W:  H:  Bog- 
art  (1810-):  new  ed.,  N.  Y.,  Miller,  1856.] 
Boone    is    here    described    "  not    merely 
as   the   recless   adventurer   and   pioneer, 
but  as  a  patriot  and  sage.    He  certainly 
displayed  the  gentler,   no  less  than  the 
hardier,    traits    of    the   true   hero;    and 
his    virtues   would   hav   made    him    the 
ornament    of    civilized    society,    had    not 
his  exposures  and  privations   inurd  him 
to  rudeness  of  a  border  life,   and  made 
its    wild    sports,     ruf    encounters,     and 
thic-sown    perils   a   necessity   of   his   na- 
ture.  .   .   To  the   life  of  Boone  is   added 
an    interesting   series   of  biographies   of 
the    early    hero-hunters    of    Kentucky." 
[North  Am.  Review.  1720 
A    LOYAL    LITTLE    RED-COAT,     [by 
Ruth  Ogden:  N.  Y.,  Stokes,  1890.]    "The 
heroin  is  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  King, 
altho    the    war    is    over.     But    Hazel's 
father    had,    with    great    personal    loss, 
folloed   his   convictions,    and   Hazel    loy- 
ally    foUoed     him.    Her     intervue     with 
Hamilton,  and  the  fearlessness  and  naive 
simplicity  with  which  she  givs  her  opin- 
ions   on  a  case  which  the  great  lawyer 
had  defended,   is   one  of  the   best  chap- 
ters.   The    Van    Vleet    tea-party    has    a 
genuin   colonial  flavor."    [Nation.      1750 
THE  UNSEEN  HAND  [by  Elijah 
Kellogg:    Lee,    1882]    "is   a    story    of 
homely   Ufe  in  Western   Pennsylva- 
nia at  the  close  of  the  last  century. 
Mr.    Kellogg's    dry    style    seems    to 


105 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUXG. 


suit  the  place  and  times;  we  always 
hav  respected  the  sincerity  of  his 
purpos  and  the  realistic  efficacy  of 
his  work;  if  he  had  only  seen  all 
which  he  saw  from  the  outside,  in- 
stead of  being-  in  the  life  itself,  he 
would  hav  been  likely  to  write  better 
books.  There  is  too  little  art  in 
them,  and  yet  they  hav  good  stuff." 
[Atlantic.  H1766 

A  START  IN  LIFE  [by  J:  Town- 
send  Trowbridge:  Lee,  1888]  "  is  a 
lively  story  of  life  in  the  Genesee 
country,  when  western  New  York 
was  stil  a  wilderness.  The  hero, 
Walden  Westlake,  goes  thither  to 
gro  with  the  country,  and  this  vol- 
ume relates,  in  a  way  to  delight  the 
boyish  heart,  his  adventures  with  a 
disgruntled  schoolmaster  and  a 
thievish  bear."  [Boston  "  Lit. 
World."  1767 

IN  OLD  QUINNBB ASSET,  [by  "  Sopliie 
May,"  i.  e.  Rebecca  Sophia  Clarke:  Bos- 
ton, Lee,  1891.]  "  A  more  graceful  and 
charming  tale  it  would  be  hard  to  fiud. 
Here  is  old  Quinnebasset  with  its  asso- 
ciations and  memories,  its  old  houses 
and  fireplaces,  and  here  ar  the  very 
people  walking  its  streets,  discussing  the 
electoral  votes  in  the  same  formal  Eng- 
lish  as   during  Washington's   time.    And 


here  is  the  heroin  keeping  a  diarum, 
which  she  fils  with  quaint  girlish  fancies, 
and  doing  all  the  old-fashioned  house- 
hold tasks— spinning,  making  possets, 
discoursing  on  religion,  getting  into  mis- 
chief, dressing  for  a  gi-and  ball,  teasing 
her  suitors,  and  being  as  bewitching  and 
merry  as  Miss  Clarke's  heroins  always 
ar,  and  as  full  of  spontaneous  life  as 
the  original  from  whom  we  suspect  this 
same  Elizabeth  Oilman  was  drawn." 
[Critic.  1790 

JOHN  BOYDS  ADVENTURES 
[by  T:  W:  Knox:  Appleton,  1893] 
"  is  the  story  of  an  American  sailor 
in  the  early  part  of  the  present  cen- 
tury. He  passes  throu  the  usual  ex- 
periences of  heroes  in  sea-stories,  is 
attacked  by  privateers  and  pirates, 
is  shipwrecked,  and  makes  an  in- 
voluntary voyage  in  a  slaver.  His 
capture  by  Algerine  pirates  and  im- 
prisonment in  Tripoli  giv  occasion 
for  an  interesting  account  of  some 
of  the  episodes  in  our  naval  war 
with  the  Barbary  states.  There  is 
a  lac  of  life  and  color  in  the  story, 
and  there  is  no  originality  and  very 
little  excitement  in  it,  but  it  is  un- 
objectionable. John  Boyd  being  a 
manly  fello  who  deservs  his  promo- 
tion."    [Nation.  1799 


THE  STOKY  OF  THE  U.  S.  NAVY  [by  Benson  J:  Lossing: 
Harper,  1880]  "■  the  intended  for  boys,  is  as  painstaking,  orderly, 
and  minute  as  if  an  adult  audience  wer  in  Yue.  There  is  no 
attempt  at  picturesqueness  or  fine  \\'riting.  There  ar  plenty  of 
pictures,  portraits,  medals,  trophies,  monuments,  famous  ships 
and  batteries — aud  not  too  many  apocryphal  vues  of  naval  com- 
bats. The  peaceful  achievements  of  the  na^y  ar  not  overlooked, 
and  happily  there  ar  few  shameful  deeds  to  cover."     [Nation.  1800 

PAUL    JONES,    [by    Molly   Elliot    Sea-  counter    of    the    Bonhomme    Richard    as 

well:     Appleton,     1893.]       "Thackeray's  seen  from  the  decs  of  the  Serapis.    All 

'  Denis  Duval  '   never  reached  the  prom-  Americans    hav    regretted    this,    for    the 

ised    description   of    the    memorable    en-  master's    touch    must    have    added    new 


106 


HISTORY:— UNITED   STATES. 

glory  to  the  already  world-wide  fame  of  explosion    of    the    Intrepid.    The    author 

Commodore  Jones.    We   can  be  wel  con-  has  not,  however,  told  it  in  a  "better  way 

tent,  however,  with  the  spirited  rehersal  than  Maclay  tels  it  in  his  history,   and 

of  the  incidents  enacted  off  Scarborough  has  not,  we  think,  equaled  in  pathos  or 

on    Sept.    24,    1784    [sic],    which    is    now  interest  her  own  story  of  '  Little  Jarvis.' 

presented    by    Molly    Elliot    Seawell,    in  Her  picture  of  naval  life  contains  many 

her    recently    published     story.    A    con-  eirors    and    anachronisms.      Historically 

scientious  study  of  the  sources  of  history  the  incidents  ar  true,  tho  the  traditions 

has  equipped  this  capable  author  for  her  of  the  service  ar  that  Stewart,  Decatur 

task,   which  none   wil  gainsay   was   wel  [1779-1820],    and    Somers    wer    intimate 

undertaken."    [Critic.  1420  alike  with  each  other,   and  that  the  In- 

1804  Feb.  trepid  grounded   before   she   was   blown 

DECATUR  AND    SOMERS    [by    Molly  up.    Miss    Seawell   wil    not   hav   written 

Elliot    Seawell:    Appletons,    1894]    "is    a  in    vain,    however,    if    she    make   known 

pleasant    story,    narrating    two    of    the  exploits    of    the   American    navy   one    of 

most    touching    and    heroic    passages    in  which   was    characterized   by    Nelson   as 

the  history  of  our  navy,  the  destruction  '  the  most  bold   and   daring   act  of  the 

of  the  Philadelphia  ofE  Tripoli,  and  the  age.'  "    [Nation.  1800 

THE  BOYS  OF  1812  [by  Ja.  Kiissell  Soley:  Estes,  1887]  "is 
a  general  history  of  the  navy  from  the  beginning,  under  Biddle 
and  Barney,  untU  the  fleet  commanded  by  M.  0.  Perry  helped 
Scott's  amiy  to  win  in  Mexico.  In  clear,  straitforward  style,  with 
plenty  of  anecdotes  and  occasional  tidbits,  the  Professor  leads 
his  boy-readers  on  from  the  Delaware  Bay  to  the  Irish  Sea,  and 
thence  by  way  of  Tripoli,  the  ocean  duels  of  1812,  Lakes  Erie 
and  Champlain,  to  California  and  the  Mexican  Gulf.  .  .  The  au- 
thor has  unnecessarily  cheapened,  and  so  far  injured,  his  work  by 
omitting  an  index.  Even  boys  nowadays  look  for  that  grip  on 
the  eel  of  science."     [Critic.  1803 

BLUE  JACKETS  OF  1812,  to  which  is  prefixed  an  account  of 
the  French  War  of  1798.  [by  WUlis  J.  Abbot:  Dodd,  1888.]  "  The 
author  6t  to  find  a  first-rate  audience,  for  he  has  told  an  interest- 
ing story,  in  an  interesting  manner,  without  recourse  to  the  rather 
cheap  frils  with  which  juvenile  literature  is  apt  to  be  decorated. 
Ml'.  Abbot  writes  brightly,  occasionally  allowing  himself  the  use 
of  imaginary  dialog;  but  for  the  most  part  his  work  is  narrativ 
drawn  from  good  sources."     [Atlantic.  1805 

ZACHARY  PHIPPS  [by  Edwin  Las-  hope  those  times  wer  really  good  enuf  to 
setter  Bynner  (1842-92):  Houghton,  1892]  condone  the  badness  of  a  boy  who  ran 
"  is   a  tale  of   the   good   old    times.    We      away    to    sea    at    the    tender    age    of    8, 

107 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUXG. 


and  to  permit  him,  wlien  barely  of  age, 
to  become  an  acceptable  Legation's  at- 
tachC  in  London.  Certainly  Zachary  did 
far  better  than  if  he  had  been  good  and 
stayed  at  home  and  pursued  humdrum 
knoledge  under  the  shado  of  Master  Til- 
leston's  cane.  Whatever  of  national  im- 
portance was  going  on  from  Boston  to 
Florida,  he  managed  to  be  in  it.  A  most 
innocent  accomplice  of  treason,  he  made 
one  of  the  picturesque  Washita  expedi- 
tion planned  in  the  angry  heart  of  Burr. 
Barely  old  enuf  to  bio  a  whistle,  he 
shared  the  Constitution's  naval  fame. 
Again,  in  the  hand-to-hand  tussle  be- 
tween the  Chesapeake  and  Shannon,  he 
was  literally  right  on  dec.  As  a  climax 
of  adventui-e,  to  him  was  it  given  to 
witness  those  atrocities  in  Florida  which 
make  Jackson  appear  more  of  a  murderer 
than  a  soldier.  Zachary's  career  makes 
a  capital  book  for  youthful  readers,  and 
is  not  without  serious  interest.  The  au- 
thor's historical  vision,  while  patriotic, 
is  unprejudiced,  and  he  givs  history  a 
dramatic  value  without  distortion  of 
facts.  Some  touches  of  characterization 
ar  very  vivid— for  instance,  in  the  pass- 
ing glimpses  of  Mrs.  Blennerhasset  and 
of  Burr.  Burr's  last  appearance  in  New 
York,  poor  and  persistently  dishonest, 
apparently  unmoved  by  private  neglect 
and  public  scorn,  yet  sorro-stricken  by 
the  death  of  his  grandchild,  makes  one 
feel,  not  how  ignoble  he  was,  but  how 
noble  he  might  hav  been."  [Nation.  1835 
LIFE  AJSIONGST  THE  INDIANS,  [by 
G:  Catlin  (1796-1872):  Appleton,  1867.] 
"  Any  father  of  a  family  who  is  will- 
ing that  his  boys  should  read  Cooper's 
novels  or  Mayne  lleid's,  and  would  pre- 
fer to  hav  them  avoid  dime  novels  and 
the  unnatural  bacwoods  romances  of  Dr. 
J.  H.  liobinson  or  Emerson  Bennett,  wil 

lOS 


do  wel  to  get  this.  .  .  The  author  is  him- 
self a  hily  interesting  character,  and  he 
not  only  writes  in  an  exceptionally  good 
style,  but  with  sense  as  rare  and  human- 
ity by  no  means  common.  His  words 
breathe  only  sincerity  and  truthfulness, 
even  where — as  when  he  acquits  the  Red- 
men  of  having  ever  been  cannibals— he 
speaks  too  sweepingly  in  favor  of  a 
much-slandered  race.  Both  volumes  ar 
divided  between  North  and  South  Amer- 
ica, and  in  an  unexaggerated  narrativ 
of  actual  adventure  the  boy-reader  is 
most  agreeably  transported  over  plains 
and  down  rivers  and  along  foreign 
coasts,  learning  nothing  but  what  he 
wil  be  the  better  for  remembering,  and 
getting  a  much  better  idea  of  the  Red- 
men  than  one  adult  in  a  thousand  has. 
If  we  wer  teaching  school  we  should 
make  this  book  and  '  Last  Rambles 
amongst  the  Indians  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains and  the  Andes,'  a  text-book  of 
American  history  and  geography— such  a 
text-book,  let  us  ad,  as  under  slavery 
could  never  hav  been  tolerated  in  this 
country.  For  when,  prior  to  1860,  would 
a  school  committee  hav  approved  chap- 
ter IX.  of  the  '  Life,'  which  tels  the 
shameful  truth  about  the  Georgia  and 
Florida  Redmen?  "    [Nation.  1900 

WITHIN  THE  CAPES,  [by  Howard 
Pyle:  London,  Warne,  1883.]  "  The 
capes  between  whose  points  the  tale 
opens  and  closes  ar  those  of  Chesapeake 
Bay.  What  givs  a  most  pleasant  flavor 
to  the  book  and  makes  it  of  genuin  lit- 
erary importance,  despite  its  unpretend- 
ing modesty,  is  the  skil  with  which  the 
author  transports  us  in  the  midst  of  a 
simple  and  pastoral  people,  and  makes 
us  see  and  understand  their  ways  and 
manners.  He  presents  to  us  a  Quaker 
settlement    where    people    and   place    ar 


BnOKR    FOU    THE    YOUNG. 


alike  charming;  the  men  ar  grave  and 
brave;  the  women  ar  gentle  and  beauti- 
ful; there  is  a  roling  landscape  and  a 
fertil  soil.  .  .  Here  is  variety  enuf,  and 
it  is  set  before  us  skilfully,  with  a  cer- 
tain old-fashioned  quaintness  of  a  pleas- 
ant flavor."    [Saturday   Review.         1940 

MIDSHIPMAN  PAULDING,  [by  Mol- 
lie  Elliot  Seawell:  Appleton,  1891.]  "The 
story  of  young  Paulding's  adventure 
with  the  Dutch  landlord  and  of  the  win- 
ter at  Sackett's  Harbor  is  told  with  con- 
siderable snap.  .  .  The  way  he  acted 
when  under  fire,  and  the  way  the  bril- 
liant victory  of  McDonough  on  Lake 
Ghamplain  was  fot,  and  what  part  Mid- 
shipman Paulding  took  in  it— all  this  is 
wel  told.  The  book  sties  to  facts  with- 
out being  matter-of-fact  or  prosy  in 
style."    [Critic.  1945 

THE  SIGNAL,  BOYS  [by  G:  Gary 
Eg-g-leston:  Putnam,  1877]  "  depicts 
impossible  characters  in  improb- 
able situations.  The  story  remains 
very  poor  fiction  for  all  that;  just 
as  the  historical  setting  given  them 
fails  entirely  to  lend  reality  to  the 
adventures  described.  For  the  rest, 
the  battle  of  New  Orleans  in  1815  is 
made  the  motiv  of  the  narrativ." 
[Nation.  1947 

1815-20. 

GREY  HAWK,  [by  J:  Tanner:  Lippin- 
cott,  1S83.]  "  An  unadorned  tale  of  life 
on  the  Red  River  of  the  North  in  the 
early  part  of  this  century  is  the  auto- 
biografical  history  of  J:  Tanner's  cap- 
tivity. This,  edited  by  Edwin  James,  the 
historian  of  Long's  expedition  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  was  a  classic,  in  its 
way,  more  than  50  years  ago.  It  has 
now  been  condensed  and  reprinted  under 
English  editorship,   as  '  Grey  Hawk.'    It 


is  the  true  story  of  a  little  boy,  stolen 
in  Kentucky  by  Shawnees,  who  grew 
up  adopted  and  naturalized  among  the 
Ottawas,  to  whom  he  was  transferred 
by  purchase.  Its  interest  lies  in  its  di- 
rect speech  and  in  its  homely  detaUs 
of  the  barbarism  and  poverty  of  noma- 
dic hunters,  often  distressed  for  want 
of  food  and  often  in  misery  from  rum. 
The  savage  virtue  of  hospitality  and  the 
civilized  vice  of  drunkenness  have  many 
examples  in  its  pages,  and  one  learns 
that  life  among  the  less  fierce  tribes  of 
the  Northwest  was  an  irregular  succes- 
sion of  hunting,  starvation,  very  trans- 
ient abundance  and  carousing,  cold,  and 
poverty."    [Nation.  1950 

SNOW-SHOES  AND  CANOES  [by  W: 
H:  Giles  Kingston:  Lippincott,  1876] 
"  purports  to  describe  the  early  days 
of  a  fur-trader  in  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Territory.  It  is  an  unpretentious  nar- 
rativ, easily  understood  and  certain  to 
interest.  We  might  compare  it  with 
Gerstaecker's  works,  but  the  English  au- 
thor has  less  imagination  and  a  much 
less  graphic  style  than  his  German  pro- 
totype. In  fact,  we  rather  recommend 
the  story  for  its  apparent  adherence  to 
facts  and  the  small  quantity  of  romance 
in  it.  It  has  much  to  tell  of  hunters, 
trappers,  voyageurs,  and  Indians,  and 
the  hardships  of  life,  half  a  century 
ago,  in  the  region  now  known  as  Mani- 
toba."   [Nation.  1955 

ANSEL'S  CA\^  [by  Albert  Gallatin 
Riddle  (1S15-):  Cleveland,  Burrows, 
1893]  "  is  a  story  of  early  life  in  the 
'  Western  Reserve,'  opening  in  1813, 
when  these  lands  wer  covered  by  a 
great  forest,  and  communication  with 
the  outside  world  was  throu  an  almost 
unbroken    wilderness.      The    story    was 


109 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOLWG. 


written  twenty  years  ago,  and  because  anteed  the  right  of  the  Seminole 
the  personages  go  by  their  proper  names,  tribes  to  her  soil,  but  '  shamefully 
publication  was  delayed  until  the  death     broken,'     upon     the     principle     that 


of  the  principal  actors  and  the  disper- 
sion of  their  descendants."    [Critic.  1960 

As  collateral   reading:— 

HISTORY  OF  THE  U.  S.  AND 
ITS  PEOPLE,  [by  E:  Eggleston: 
Appleton,  1888.]  "  The  author  omits 
to  notice  that  Texas  revolted 
against  a  government  which  pro- 
hibited slavery,  and  treats  the  mo- 
rality of  the  Mexican  war,  which 
was  one  of  pure  slaveholding  ag- 
grandizement, as  an  open  question 
to  this  day.  In  fact,  all  which  is 
said  of  Texan  independence  is  very 
misleading."     [Nation.  H2052 

OSCEOLA,  [by  [T:]  Mayne  Reid: 
Hurst,  1859.]  "  The  scene  is  Florida; 
and,  altho  it  begins  with  some  scenes 
of  striking  adventure  and  '  palpitat- 
ing interest '  at  a  somewhat  earlier 
period,  it  is  upon  the  war  of  the 
Indian  possessors  of  the  soil  with 
its  wily  invaders  from  the  north, 
that  the  main  portion  of  the  story 
is  made  to  bear.  When  compelled 
to  depart,  for  a  few  pages,  from  his 
ingenious  dovetailing  process  to  giv 
the  reader  a  clearer  insight  into  the 
historical  and  political  position  of 
the  '  men  and  things  '  with  which 
he  deals,  and  prove  his  assertion 
that  his  '  writing  is  in  truth  a  his- 
tory,' the  author  givs  a  clear  ac- 
count of  the  history  of  Florida, 
from  the  cession  of  the  territory  by 
Spain  in  1821  to  the  outbreak  with 
the  Redmen  in  1832.  He  traces  the 
gradual  conflict  with  the  '  pale-fac- 
ed usurpers,'  who  wer  '  moving 
down  from  the  north  ' ;  the  sad 
story  of  covenant  '  solemnly  made, 
and  solemnly  sworn  to,'  which  guar- 


'  covenants  between  the  strong  and 
weak  ar  things  of  convenience,  to  be 
broken  whenever  the  former  wils  it' ; 
and  the  formal  declaration  of  the 
'  Great  Father '  of  the  U.  S.,  that 
the  Seminoles  must  be  dispossessed 
and  remove  to  other  lands.  '  You 
wil  not  go  willingly?  Be  it  so.  We 
ar  strong;  you  ar  weak;  we  shal 
force  you,'  was  '  the  spirit  of  the 
reply  Jackson  made  to  the  Semi- 
noles '  when  they  resisted  the  pro- 
position and  refused  to  leave  the 
land  of  their  birth.  .  .  Altho  a  few 
chapters  read  somewhat  more  like 
a  chronicle  than  incident  dexter- 
ously dovetailed  into  a  work  of  fic- 
tion, yet  they  ar  brief,  wel  written, 
and  full  of  soul-stirring  interest." 
[Lit.  Gazette.  2056 

THE  HISTORY  OF  UNITED 
STATES.  [byT:  Wentworth  Higgin- 
son:  Harper,  1885.]  "  In  the  opening 
chapter,  '  The  First  Americans,'  we 
hav  a  brilliant  essay  on  the  Mound- 
Builders,  or,  rather,  the  Pueblo- 
Builders,  to  whom  the  author  be- 
lieves the  whole  aboriginal  race  be- 
longed. The  second  chapter—'  The 
Visit  of  the  Vikings,'  is  a  vivid 
sketch  of  those  villainous  old  heroes 
who  wer  the  terror  of  their  times- 
more  of  them  in  fact,  than  of  their 
discoveries  in  North  America.  The 
author  does  not  trouble  himself 
much  about  the  many  minor  mat- 
ters which  so  lumber  history;  he 
seizes  the  few  salient  points,  and, 
with  the  perfection  of  his  touch, 
makes  them  stand  out  before  us  as 


110 


HISTORY:— UNITED   STATES. 


living  pictures,  as  actual  scenes,  in 
which,  somehow,  we  seem  to  hav 
an  important  part.  .  .  '  Our  Coun- 
try's Cradle '  is  one  of  the  best 
chapters,  giving  the  scenes  and 
times  of  Washington's  administra- 
tion with  vividness — Mrs.  Washing- 
ton, Mrs.  Knox,  Mrs.  Sedgwick,  and 
the  rest,  all  the  society  and  '  ton  ' 
of  the  times.  The  politician,  the 
statesman,  the  real  student  of  his- 
tory must  delv  in  details  of  facts 
and  figures,  and  must  go  elsewhere 
than  to  this  author  to  find  them. 
But  the  life  of  a  people,  the  salient 
points  of  their  religion,  customs, 
politics,  history,  are  what  the  mil- 
lions everywhere,  the  youth  espec- 
ially, ar  most  concerned  with,  most 
interested  in, — wil  nowhere  be  found 
more  delightfully  presented  than 
here."     [Boston    "  Lit.   "World."     2067 

A  BOY'S  TOWN,  [by  W:  Dean 
Howells:  Harper,  1890.]  "There  can 
be  few  men  who  could  remember  so 
keenly  and  genially,  could  note  so 
aptly,  and  could  render  so  sympa- 
thetically and  almost  coherently,  the 
chaotic  life  of  a  boy  [in  Ohio].  All 
the  happiness,  the  grief,  the  fear, 
the  bigotry,  the  ambition,  the 
cruelty,  and  the  tenderness  strangely 
stirred  in  the  heart  of  a  boy  by  his 
groing  vital  force,  ar  depicted  in  the 
author's  best  manner,  simple,  sen- 
sitiv,  and  genial."  [Boston  "  Lit. 
World."  2103 

THE  CEDARS:  More  of  Child 
Life,  [by  "  Ellis  Gray,"  i.  e.,  L..  T. 
Cragin:  Boston,  Lockwood,  1877.] 
"  The  good  and  rather  rare  qualities 
of  the  author  of  '  Long  Ago  '  [1S76] 
reappear,  so  that  children  who  hav 
read   the   earlier  instalment  wil   not 


be  disappointed  by  the  present.  The 
story  continues  to  be  autobiograph- 
ical, and  evidently  from  experience, 
and  if  it  has  become  somewhat  more 
romantic,  we  suppose  this  is  due  not 
to  conscious  embellishment  on  the 
part  of  '  Ellis  Gray,'  but  to  the  in- 
creased age  of  her  youthful  charac- 
ters. Ellis  is  now  12  and  at  board- 
ing-school, while  Die  is  within  a 
year  of  entering  Harvard — say  16. 
The  author's  hiest  praise  consists, 
we  apprehend,  in  the  fidelity  of  her 
descriptions  and  suggestions  of  Bos- 
ton and  suburban  life  a  quarter  of 
a  century  ago."     [Nation.  2121 

SALTILLO  BOYS  [by  W:  Osborn 
Stoddard:  Harper,  1882]  "is  a  pleasant 
story,  the  scene  being  a  town  in  central 
New  York  30  years  ago.  The  boys  de- 
scribed ar  from  13  to  16  and  belong  to 
a  school  in  which  the  master  endeavors 
to  impress  the  value  of  self-government 
upon  his  pupils.  This  lesson  is  fairly 
wel  brOt  out  in  the  various  incidents 
given  of  life  in  and  out  of  school." 
[Nation.  2125 

1855-59. 

THE  BOY  SETTLERS,  [by  Noah 
Brooks:  Scribner,  1891.]  "It  is  wel 
that  the  rising  generation  should 
learn  the  history  of  those  times — the 
struggle  to  free  Kansas  from  the  in- 
iquitous institution  of  slavery;  the 
toils,  the  hardships,  the  successes  of 
northern  emigrants.  The  Indians  and 
herds  of  buffaloes  sweeping  in  vast 
armies  across  the  prairie,  form  ex- 
citing episodes  of  the  story.  As  a 
vivid  and  careful  study  of  one  of  the 
most  significant  periods  of  American 
history,  this  book  wil  be  appreciated 
and  enjoyed  by  readers  young  or 
old."     [Boston  "  Lit.  World."  2133 


111 


BOOKS    FOn    THE    YOUNG. 


HEKOES  IN  HOMESPUN  [by  Ascott  Eo.  Hope  [Moncrieff] : 
London,  1894]  "  deals  with  the  early  history  of  the  more  activ  and 
militant  spirits  of  the  Abolitionist  movement  from  the  days  of 
J:  Woolman  to  those  of  J:  Brown."     [Saturday  Eeview.         1850 

THE  SAILOE  BOYS  OF  '61.  [by  Ja.  Eussell  Soley:  Estes,  1888.] 
"  This  clear,  spirited  and  authoritativ  narrativ  is  quite  within  the 
comprehension  of  children,  but  it  is  not  at  all  'wTitten  down.' 
It  can  be  read  with  interest  by  adults,  and  we  kno  of  no  better 
brief  picture  of  the  naval  features  of  om*  civil  war.  The  spirit 
in  which  Prof.  Soley  writes  is  admirable,  and  Southerners  can  read 
his  pages  from  beginning  to  end  without  offense."     [Nation.     1900 


CTJDJO'S  CA^TE  [by  J.  T.  Trowbridge: 
Boston,  Tilton,  1864]  "  is  a  spiritedly 
■written  tale.  '  Cudjo  '  is  a  run- 
away slave,  and  bis  '  Cave  '  is  among 
the  mountains  of  Tennessee.  We  hav 
perils,  escapes,  and  flights;  and  it  would 
appear  that  all  those  in  Tennessee  who 
had  Northern  proclivities,  whether  white 
or  blac,  wer  hunted  down  like  wild 
beasts.  One  poor  schoolmaster  gets  tar- 
red and  feathered,  ana  whipping  white 
women  seems  not  altogether  uncommon. 
The  descriptions  ar  all  excellent." 
[Reader.]— "  The  plot  is  wel  conceived 
and  sustained,  and  the  interest  never 
flags  from  the  first  page  to  the  last. 
There  is  no  dul  reading  in  the  book, 
no  interminable  preludes  or  introduc- 
tions. The  hero  is  a  young  schoolmas- 
ter, and  a  real  hero  he  proves  himself 
in  his  gentleness,  conscientiousness,  and 
manly  moral  and  physical  courage.  Carl, 
the  German  boy,  is  au  inimitable  picture 
of  young  German  life  and  character. 
Toby,  the  house  negro,  is,  in  his  mingled 
stupidity,  cunning,  and  faithfulness, 
drawn  to  the  life.  Nor  ar  the  negroes  of 
the  cave  less  excellent.  Events  hurry 
forward,        different        characters        are 


strangely  grouped,  new  elements  and  ca- 
pacities constantly  developed,  while 
truth  to  the  original  conception  is  con- 
stantly adhered  to.  Graphic  descriptions 
and  picturesque  situations  abound." 
[Continental.  2200 

CAPTAIN  PHIL,  [by  M.  M.  Thomas: 
Holt,  1884.]  "  The  hero  is  an  orphan 
lad  who  accompanies  his  older  brother 
during  the  whole  of  the  war.  He  is 
present  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Eun. 
Afterwards  he  joins  the  Western  army, 
under  Kosecrans,  remains  with  it  during 
the  pursuit,  first  of  Bragg  and  after- 
wards of  Johnson,  and  is  in  the  battles 
of  Shiloh,  Murfreesboro,  and  Chicka- 
mauga,  and  in  the  march  to  the  sea. 
All  the  phases  of  camp  life,  its  humors 
and  its  hardships,  the  peculiarities  of 
the  different  men,  their  talk,  their  songs, 
their  heroism,  often  their  simple  piety, 
ar  represented  with  a  graphic  force  and 
truthfulness  worthy  of  great  praise. 
Scattered  throu  the  book  ar  incidents, 
almost  every  one  of  which,  Mr.  Thomas 
assures  us,  '  is  a  real  experience,'  of 
courage  and  devotion  displayed  on  the 
battlefield,  and  especially  after  the  bat- 
tle,   in     rescuing    or     in    succoring    the 


112 


HISTORY:— UNITED   STATES. 


wounded.  Equally  "wel  done  ar  the  de- 
scriptions of  the  contrabands  and  the 
poor  whites,  and  the  scenery  of  the 
country  throu  which  the  army  passd." 
[Nation.  2235 

IN  WAR  TIMES  AT  LA  ROSE 
BLANCHE  [hy  M.  E.  M.  Davis:  Boston, 
Lothrop,  1888]  "  stands  among  the  best 
of  the  liter  war  books  In  Its  graphic 
pictures  of  plantation  life,  from  a 
stricuy  domestic  point  of  vue — even 
from  a  nursery  standpoint;  for  it  is  a 
child's  observation  and  experience  and 
memory  which  giv  form  to  these  charm- 
ing sketches — a  child  who  sees  her  young 
brothers  go  off  to  the  war,  and  who  sits 
upon  the  fence  to  wave  them  a  goodbye 
as  they  march  down  the  lane;  who  sees 
the  work  of  the  sugar  plantation  de- 
volving on  her  mother's  shoulders;  who 
finds  that  a  Yankee  boy  among  those 
encamped  on  the  lawn  can  '  play  ladies  ' 
with  her  and  make  delightful  wooden 
dolls.  An  unaffected  pathos  and  sim- 
plicity make  these  pages  seem,  not  de- 
scriptions but  experiences;  the  figures 
which  move  throu  them,  old  and  young, 
blac  and  white,  liv  and  hav  a  Veritable 
being.  The  whole  book,  in  its  truth  and 
tenderness,  is  like  one  of  its  pictures— 
a  morning-glory  groing  on  a  soldier 
boy's  grave."    [Nation.  2245 

TWO  LITTLE  CONFEDERATES  [by 
T:  Nelson  Page:  Scribner,  1888]  "is  a 
most  natural,  pleasing,  and  at  times 
touching  story.  The  scene  is  laid  in  a 
plantation  in  Virginia,  and  the  adven- 
tures described  ar  those  of  two  boys 
who,  tho  too  young  to  join  the  army, 
yet  come  freely  in  contact  with  the  ex- 
citement, anxiety,  privation  and  sorro 
which  war  entails."    [Nation.  2250 

JED.    [by   Warren   Lee   Goss:    Boston, 


Crowell,  1880.]  "  In  some  respects  this 
is  the  best  boys'  book  about  the  Civil 
War  we  ever  read.  The  hero,  a  Mas- 
sachusetts lad  who,  having  been  a  drum- 
mer-boy before  the  war,  wins  his  shoul- 
der-straps by  faithful  service  and  falls 
in  one  of  the  last  skirmishes,  is  a  manly 
fello  with  a  noble  spirit,  of  whom  no 
boy  can  read  without  being  the  better 
for  it.  There  is  an  air  of  truthfulness 
about  the  book,  also,  which  confirms  the 
author's  statement  that  the  incidents 
narrated  ar  real  ones.  The  description 
of  Andersonville  is  an  unusually  power- 
ful piece  of  writing,  while  the  account 
of  the  escape  of  Jed  and  his  companions 
possesses  a  thrilling  interest."  [Na- 
tion. 2255 
TOM  CLIFTON,  [by  Warren  Lee 
Goss:  Crowell,  1892.]  "  His  hero  mi- 
grates in  youth  from  New  England 
to  Minnesota,  and  goes  throu  the 
adventures,  perennially  fascinating, 
of  establishing  a  new  home,  hunt- 
ing, fishing,  farming,  and  exposure 
to  '  blizzards.'  The  civil  war  breaks 
out,  and  the  youth,  with  a  group  of 
companions,  enlists.  Mr.  Goss  did 
not  serv  in  the  West,  but  his  exper- 
iences in  the  ranks  need  but  little 
change  to  insure  verisimilitude  when 
his  boys  fight  at  Shiloh,  Corinth, 
Vicksburg,  and  Missionary  Ridge. 
Its  horrors  of  capture  folio,  and 
thrilling  efforts  at  escape,  with  final 
release  in  time  to  share  the  hurrahs 
at  the  return  of  peace.  There  is, 
perhaps,  too  much  history  for  suc- 
cessful fiction,  but  boys  ar  good  at 
skipping,  and  for  the  more  faithful 
readers  the  history  is  fairly  close 
to  the  accepted  version  of  the  cam- 
paigns the  author  describes."  [Na- 
tion.                                                          2256 


113 


BOOKS    FOR    THE   YOUNG. 


THE  LOST  ARMY,  [by  T:  W: 
Knox:  Merriam  Co.,  1894.]  "  Two 
Iowa  boys  of  15  attach  themselvs  as 
wagoners  to  Gen.  Lyon's  army.  Af- 
ter the  battle  of  Wilson's  Creek  they 
accompany  S:  R.  Curtis  in  his  mem- 
orable march  throu  Arkansas  to 
Helena.  The  detailed  description  of 
the  two  campaigns  is  enlivened 
somewhat  by  the  scouting  and  for- 
aging adventures  of  the  boys.  The 
book  contains  a  considerable  amount 
of  historical  information,  but  no  map 
of  Arkansas."     [Nation.  2258 

1861-5. 

AMONG  THE  CAMPS,  [by  T:  Nelson 
Page:  Scribner,  1891.]  "Each  story  has 
reference  to  some  incident  of  the  war. 
A  vein  of  mingled  pathos  and  humor 
runs  throu  them  and  greatly  hitens  their 
cbarm.  It  is  the  early  experience  of  the 
author  himself,  doubtless,  which  makes 
his  pictures  of  life  in  a  Southern  home 
during  the  great  struggle  so  vivid  and 
truthful.  There  is  none  of  the  bitter- 
ness of  the  contest,  however,  to  be 
perceived  in  the  book,  as  the  author  has 
wisely  chosen  incidents  in  which  Con- 
federate and  Union  soldiers  meet  only 
to  do  some  kindness  to  a  child."  [Na- 
tion. 2275 

ON  THE  PLANTATION,  [by  Joel 
Chandler  Harris:  Appleton,  1892.]  "The 
autobiographic  character  of  this  book 
invests  it  with  peculiar  interest.  The 
sub-title  calls  it  '  a  story  of  a  Georgia 
boy's  adventures  during  the  war,'  and 
it  is  really  a  valuable,  if  modest,  con- 
tribution to  the  history  of  the  war 
within  the  Confederate  lines,  particu- 
larly on  the  eve  of  the  catastrophe. 
While  Mr.  Harris  in  his  preface  pro- 
fesses to  hav  lost  the  power  to  distin- 
guish between  what  is  true  and  what  is 


imaginativ  in  his  episodical  narrativ,  the 
reader  readily  finds  the  clue,  and  it  is 
instructiv  to  notice  how  '  Uncle  Remus'  ' 
humor  is  robbed  of  its  contagiousness 
when  the  tale  is  about  a  funny  incident 
in  his  own  experience  which  he  is  too 
conscientious  to  embellish.  The  history 
of  the  plantation,  the  printing-office,  the 
blac  runaways  and  white  deserters  of 
whom  the  impending  break-up  made  the 
community  tolerant,  the  coon  and  fox- 
hunting, forms  the  serious  purpos  of  the 
book,  and  holds  the  reader's  interest 
from  beginning  to  end.  Like  '  Daddy 
Jake,'  this  is  a  good  anti-slavery  tract 
in  disguise,  and  does  credit  to  Mr.  Har- 
ris' humanity."    [Examiner.  2280 

MY  DAYS  AND  NIGHTS  ON  THE 
BATTLE-FIELD,  [by  C:  Carleton 
Coffin:  Ticknor,— also  Low,  1864.] 
"  This  book  is  freely  illustrated  with 
daring  incidents  on  the  battle-fleld, 
and  with  numerous  diagrams  of  the 
ground.  There  is  also  a  leaf  de- 
voted to  the  explanation  of  military 
terms.  And,  altho  it  is  freely  spiced 
with  what  Southern  sympathizers 
call  Northern  brag,  there  is  little 
doubt  it  wil  be  a  favorit  with  all 
young  readers.  Many  of  the  descrip- 
tions ar  capital,  and  the  illustrations 
assist  the  reader  greatly."     [Reader. 

2291 

As  collateral  reading:— 

YOUNG  FOLKS'  HISTORY  OF  THE 
WAR  [by  J:  Denison  Champlin  (1S34-): 
Holt,  1881]  "  can  be  heartily  recom- 
mended. Indeed,  the  book  givs  a  great 
deal  more  than  it  promises,  for  it  is 
equally  wel  adapted  to  general  readers. 
It  is,  in  short,  a  wel  written  and  en- 
tertaining history,  fair  and  impartial  in 
tone  and  aiming  rather  at  incident  and 


114 


HISTORY:— UNITED   STATES. 


graphic  narrativ  than  at  political  and 
strategic  analysis,  altho  these  ar  not  ne- 
glected; affording,  therefore,  probably 
as  good  an  account  of  these  events  as 
most  Tvil  desire.  It  is  copiously  illus- 
trated as  wel  -with  maps  and  plans,  as 
with  portraits,  vues,  and  pictures  of 
special  objects  of  interest.  Few  or  none 
of  the  illustrations  ar  '  made-up  '  pic- 
tures.   There   is   an   index."    [Nation. 

2294 


THE  CIVIL  WAR  [by  Mrs.  C.  E. 
Cheney:  Estes,  1883]  "  can  be  heartily 
recommended.  The  first  few  pages  strike 
one  as  being  rather  stif  and  artificial  in 
style,  and  altogether  there  is  too  great 
tendency  toards  digression  and  '  moral- 
izing.' The  story,  however,  is  exceed- 
ingly wel  told,  and  in  a  spirit  of  keen 
sympathy  with  the  objects  and  results 
of  the  war,  if  at  times  a  little  intoler- 
ant in  tone."    [Nation.  2295 


IHARCHING  TO  VICTORY  [by  C:  C.  Coffin:  Hai-per,  1888] 
"  deals  with  the  events  of  1863.  The  greater  part  is  necessarily 
taken  up  with  an  account  of  the  military  operations;  but  those 
civil  events,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  dii'ectly  connected  with  the 
war  ar  also  intelligently  treated.  The  author's  descriptions  of 
the  great  battles,  especially  those  of  which  he  was  an  eye-witness, 
ar  exceedingly  sphited.  He  would  have  given  a  better  idea  of 
each  battle  as  a  whole,  however,  if  many  of  the  minor  details, 
such  as  the  movements  and  fortunes  of  each  brigade  engaged,  had 
been  omitted.  Due  credit  has  been  given  to  the  valor  and  pat- 
riotism of  the  Confederates,  and,  but  for  a  few  passages  where 
the  author's  feelings  hav  got  the  better  of  his  judgment,  the  book 
wil  giv  its  readers  a  clear  conception  of  the  magnitude  of  the  con- 
test, and  at  the  same  time  inspire  in  them  a  true  pride  in  the  men, 
both  North  and  South,  who  fot  it.  Numerous  illustrations,  maps, 
and  an  index  ad  to  the  value  and  attractivness  of  the  volume." 
[Nation.  1955 


FREEDOM  TRIUMPHANT,  the 
Fourth  Period  of  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  from  September,  1864,  to 
its  Close,  [by  C:  Carleton  Coffin: 
Harper,  1891.]  "  The  opening-  of 
the  campaign  in  the  Shenandoah 
Valley  is  the  starting-point  of  the 
narrativ,  and  once  in  motion  the 
author  keeps  on  in  his  hearty, 
sometimes  headlong  fashion  to  the 
end  of  his  story.  He  mingles  per- 
sonal experience  with  historic  in- 
cident,    and     thus    personally    con- 


ducts the  reader.  He  has  a  com- 
mendable way  of  placing  at  the 
close  of  each  chapter  a  list  of  the  au- 
thorities to  which  he  has  referred. 
If  Mr.  Coffin's  style  is  both  journal- 
istic and  hily  accented,  one  only 
wonders  that  he  can  keep  his  pace 
so     wel     as     he     does."      [Atlantic. 

H2298 

1876. 
LITTLE  SMOKE,  [by  W:  O.  Stod- 
dard: Appleton,  1891.]     "  The  scene  is 


115 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOirXG. 

the  Blac  Hils.     The  real  hero  is  not  Life  in  a  lodge  is  wel  described,  as 

the  Sioux  boy  whose  name  the  book  ar   also    some   of   the    sports    of   the 

bears,    but    Bert    Raynor,    a    plucky  Ogalallah    youth.     Interwoven    with 

Ohio  boy,  who,  having  ventured  into  Bert's  story  ar  the  adventures  of  his 

this    region    in    company    with    two  two    white     companions,    which     ar 

prospecting    miners,    is   captured   by  amusingly  told.    Gen.  Custer's  defeat 

savages.     They  spare  him  solely  be-  and  death  and  Bert's  escape  ar  the 

cause  of  his  courage  and  endurance,  closing  incidents."     [Nation.  2400 

POLITICS  FOR  Y0U:N^G  A3IERICANS.  [by  C:  Kordlioff: 
Harper,  1875.]  "  The  object  of  this  little  work  is  '  to  explain  in 
simple  language,  and  by  familiar  illustrations  fitted  for  the  com- 
prehension of  boys  and  girls,  the  meaning  and  limits  of  liberty, 
law  and  government,  and  human  rights,  and  thus  make  intelligible 
to  them  the  political  principles  on  which  our  system  of  govern- 
ment is  founded';  the  author  ads  that  'the  book  grew  out  of  an 
attempt  in  a  few  letters  to  instruct  his  oldest  son  in  the  political 
knoledge  which  every  American  boy  6t  to  possess  to  fit  him  for 
the  duties  of  citizenship.'  These  extracts  indicate  pretty  clearly 
where  to  look  for  the  merits  of  the  work  and  its  defects.  As  a 
volume  of  ad\ice  on  the  leading  questions  of  contemporary  politics, 
addressed  by  a  thotful  and  conscientious  father  to  a  bright  boy 
of  16  or  17,  who  had  been  already  familiarized  by  the  household 
talk  and  reading  with  political  nomenclature  and  the  relations  and 
in  some  slight  degree  the  history  of  existing  parties,  it  may  be 
hily  commended.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find,  indeed,  a  safer 
guide  for  a  young  man  getting  ready  to  '  cast  his  first  ballot,' 
and  we  say  this  all  the  more  readily  because  we  ar  in  hearty 
agreement  with  nearly  all  Mr.  Nordhoff's  political  and  economical 
opinions.  The  chapters  on  Property,  Money,  Labor  and  Capital, 
the  Usury  Laws,  Banks,  Banking  and  Cui^rency,  Greenbacs  and 
Commerce,  Strikes,  the  Malthusian  Theory,  Proliibitory  La^s,  and 
on  economical  questions  generally,  ar  excellent.  It  would  indeed 
not  be  easy  toi  improve  on  them  for  the  pm^pose  named.''  .  .  .  The 
work,  however,  is  said  to  be  dogmatic.  "  In  short,  the  best  training 
for  politics,  as  for  most  other  things  which  one  can  giv  a  boy, 
is  to  teach  him  not  so  much  what  to  think  as  how  to  think,  and 
above  all  to  think  accurately  and  closely.''     [Nation.  2000 

116 


UNIVERSITY    I 


'  GEOGRAPHY:— MEXICO. 

AMONG  THE  LAWMAKERS  [by  Edmund  ^Uton  [Bailey]: 
Scribner,  1886]  "  is  written  for  boys,  but  most  adults  can  read  it 
with  profit,  for  the  rules  and  procedure  of  Congress  ar  a  deep 
mystery  to  the  rest  of  the  world.  It  contains  a  graphic  picture 
of  the  administration  of  our  Government,  and  the  picture  is 
made  more  complete  by  digressions,  such  as  not  merely  illustrate 
in  detail  the  work  of  Congress,  but  '  also  exhibit  by  examples  the 
constitutional  relations  bet^veen  the  three  departments  of  the  Gov- 
ernment.' Some  of  the  titles  of  chapters  wil  giv  a  good  notion 
of  the  scope  of  the  book:  The  Federal  Executive,  Secret  Sessions, 
Counting  the  Electoral  Vote,  Close  of  a  Congress,  An  Inaugura- 
tion, The  Federal  Judiciary,  A  Vacant  Chan-,  Into  the  Hm-ly-burly 
[the  House  of  Representatives],  Foreign  Relations,  An  Impeach- 
ment Trial.  It  wil  be  seen  that  there  ar  few  phases  of  public 
life  in  Washington  which  ar  not  described  here  with  more  or  less 
fulness."     [Nation.  2005 

THE  BOY  TRAVELLERS  IN  MEXICO,  [by  T:  W.  Knox:  Har- 
per, 1889.]  "The  author  has  made  a  careful  study  of  the  best 
works  on  Mexico;  he  has  attained  a  hi  degree  of  accuracy.  .  . 
Cortez  burns  his  ships  (p.  251)  in  the  old  style;  probably  the  orators 
hav  given  that  error  an  indestructible  life."     [Nation.  2100 

THE  CRUISE  OF  A  LAND  YACHT  [by  Sylvester  Baxter: 
Boston:  Authors'  Mutual  Pub.  Co.,  1892]  ''  givs  a  lively  and  inter- 
esting narrativ  of  a  trip  to  Mexico  in  a  private  car.  He  has  de- 
vised a  party  of  young  people  with  pretty  clearly  marked  surface 
peculiarities,  but  the  substance  of  his  book  is  in  the  description 
of  life  in  the  Southwest.  The  book  affords  young  readers  a  very 
agreeable  introduction  to  Mexican  scenery,  life  and  antiquities." 
[Atlantic.  2110 

THE  MYSTERY  OF  ABEL  FOREFINGER  [by  W:  Drysdale: 
Harper,  1894]  "is  the  story,  wel  told  and  rapid  in  movement,  of 
the  haps  and  mishaps  befalling  two  boys  dm-ing  a  West  Indian 
and  Mexican  torn-,  and,  tho  full  of  adventure,  is,  as  boys'  books 
go,  noticeably  free  from  exaggeration  and  over-sensationalism." 
[Atlantic.  2115 

117 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOIWG. 


BY  RIGHT  OF  CONQUEST,  [by  G: 
Alfred  Henty  (1832-):  Blackie,  1890.] 
"  It  Is  decidedly  daring  to  intro- 
duce an  English  boy  in  Mexico  during 
the  triumphant  invasion  of  Cortez,  but 
the  thing  is  not  incredible,  and  Roger 
Hawkshaw  is  the  most  promising  of 
heroes  when  he  sets  sail  from  Plymouth 
for  the  West  Indies,  and  is  ■wrecked  on 
the  coast  of  Central  America.  He  makes 
his  way  to  Tabasco,  and  finds  himself 
eventually  in  Tezcuco,  where  he  is  re- 
gally entertained.  '  Was  ever  an  Eng- 
lish boy  in  so  strange  a  strait  as  mine?  ' 
he  asks.  '  What  an  extraordinary  peo- 
ple! Gold  seems  as  plentiful  with  them 
as  common  pottery  with  us.'  Tho  he 
does  not  become  cacique,  the  Aztec  king 
Cacama  ofCers  the  hand  of  his  sister  to 
him,  and  he  eventually  marries  the 
lovely  Amenche,  and  goes  home  laden 
with  wealth.  But  long  before  this  happy 
event  he  endures  not  a  little  calamity 
and  abundant  flting  under  Cortez.  Pres- 
cott's  brillant  work  has  of  course  sup- 
plied the  author  with  the  richest  mate- 
rial of  romantic  history,  yet  it  must  be 
admitted  that  his  skil  has  never  been 
more  convincingly  displayed  than  in  this 
admirable  and  ingenious  story."  [Sat- 
urday Review.  570 

THE  WHITE  CONQUERORS 
[by  Kirk  Munroe:  Scribner,  1894] 
"  is  a  story  of  Mexican  feuds  at 
the  time  of  the  Spanish  invasion. 
The  author  accepts  the  romantic  be- 


liefs as  to  the  measure  of  civiliza- 
tion and  refinement  of  Mexico  in 
the  days  of  Cortez,  and  writes  ac- 
cording-ly;  but  his  story  is  most  of 
the  time  independent  of  this.  It  is 
realistic,  exciting,  sanguinary,  al- 
tho  relieved  by  some  sentimental 
passages.  As  a  story  it  is  interest- 
ing, and  as  an  endeavor  to  revivify 
an  American  period  which  has  al- 
most passed  from  the  thots  of  men, 
altho  the  civilization  depicted  was 
the  hiest  on  our  continent,  it  de- 
servs   hi   praise."     [Godey's.         H572 

As  collateral  reading: — 

MONTEZUMA,  [by  E:  Eggleston:  N.  Y., 
Dodd,  1880.]  "  Montezuma  was  a  Redman 
in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term,  but  a 
hero  of  a  different  type  from  the  Red 
Jacket,  Brant,  and  Pocahontas.  In 
classing  Montezuma  with  these  he  tac- 
itly accepts  Morgan's  vue,  that  the' 
Mexicans  wer  but  more  advanced  Red- 
men;  we  ar  surprised,  therefore,  to  find 
here  the  old  vue  of  the  character  of 
the  Mexican  empire  as  an  absolute  mon- 
archy, with  a  court  of  great  splendor 
and  elaborate  ceremonial.  This  notion 
we  supposed  had  been  completely  dis- 
posed of  by  Morgan  and  Bandelier.  It 
is  important  that  our  young  people 
should  not  hav  their  minds  preoccupied 
with  false  conceptions;  and  the  true  vue 
is  certainly  as  picturesque  as  the  false, 
and  far  more  interesting.  Apart  from 
this  we  hav  nothing  but  praise."  [Na- 
tion. 575 


THE  E:\OCKxVBOUT  club  in  the  ANTILLES  [by  F:  A. 
Ober :  Estes,  1888]  "  is  a  rambling  description  of  tlie  yarious  ilands, 
written  to  accomijanj  pictures  of  all  degrees  of  excellence  and 
appropriateness.  It  contains  considerable  information,  and  en- 
ables the  reader  to  form  a  faiiiy  strong  impression  of  the  life  and 
scenery  of  the  places  visited."     [Nation.  2150 

118 


GEOGRAPHY:— SOUTH   AMERICA. 

THREE  VASSAR  GIRLS  IN  SOUTH  A3IERICA.  [by  Lizzie 
(Williams)  Champnej :  Estes,  1884.]  "  The  style  is  without  charm, 
and  the  heroins  ar  unattractir.  The  story,  however,  is  meant  to 
be  of  only  secondary  importance,  and  to  serv  as  a  lure  to  the 
reader  to  absorb  the  infonnation  contained  in  this  account  of  a 
journey  to  the  Amazons,  .etc.  The  author  draws  her  facts  and 
illustrations  from  good  sources."     [Nation.  2200 

THE  BOY  TRAVELLERS  IN  SOUTH  A^IERICA.  [by  T:  W. 
Knox:  Harper,  1885.]  "  The  boys  study  the  history  of  the  places 
they  ^dsit,  as  wel  as  the  accounts  of  the  other  travelers,  abstracts 
of  which  ar  given  in  the  form  of  letters  or  in  conversations. 
Much  attention  is  also  paid  to  a  description  of  the  natural  products 
of  the  various  countries.  The  narrativ  is  skilfully  interwoven 
with  tills  solid  information,  and  the  book  almost  always  interest- 
ing. ,  .  The  book  would  hav  been  far  more  useful  had  the  author 
taken  the  pains  to  ad  an  index.  A  table  of  contents,  however  full, 
by  no  means  takes  its  place."  [Nation.] — "  The  book  describes 
the  adventures  of  two  youths  in  a  journey  throu  Ecuador,  Peru, 
Bolivia,  Brazil,  Paraguay,  Argentine  Republic,  and  Chile,  with 
descriptions  of  Patagonia  and  Tierra  del  Fuego,  and  voyages  upon 
the  Amazon  and  La  Plata  rivers:  it  is  a  cyclopaedia  of  informa- 
tion, which  makes  one's  head  reel,  but  which  appears  to  be  calmly 
assimilated  by  Mr.  Knox's  youths.  Boys  ar  cormorants,  however, 
and  we  hav  no  doubt  they  would  make  a  moderate  luncheon  of  this 
book."     [Atlantic.  2205 

CORTEZ  AND  PIZARRO  [by  W:  between  Venezuela  and  the  Pacific. 

Dalton:    London,    Griflin,    1861]    "  is  Tliey  take  part  in  the  war  of  libera- 

a  resume  of  the  histories  of  the  two  tion  against  [1810-31]  the  Spaniards, 

great     Spaniards     who     conquered  who    ar    ultimately    defeated  '  and 

Mexico   and    Peru,    rewritten    in   a  compelled    to    recognize    the    inde- 

very   graceful   style,   and    with   an  pendence    of    the    country.      These 

appreciativ    spirit.    In    his   preface,  warlike    sketches    ar     interspersed 

Mr.  Daltou  acknoledges  his  indebt-  with    details    of    natural    history." 

edness  to  the  old  Spanish  chronicler,  [Saturday  Review.                          2226 

Bernal  Diaz,  as  wel  as  to  the  more  ^^^    GRAND    CHACO     [by    G: 

modern    pages    of    Prescott,    Irving  j^^^j^^j^e  Fenn:  Partridge,  1892]  "  is 

and  Helps.      [Critic.                     2220  ^^^^^.^^^^  ^^  ^^^  adventures  of  an 

IN  NEW  GRANADA  [by  W:  H:  exploring  party  on  the  Parana  and 

G.    Kingston:    Nelson,     1879]     "we  Paraguay,   and   is   one  of   the  best 

hav  a  picture  of  a   Scotch   family  stories  the  author  has  written.    The 

settling  in  the  province  which  lies  pictures  of  forest  scenery,   and  of 

119 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

wild  animal  and  vegetable  life  ar  respect  for  nature  and  truth,  the 
excellent.  Without  a  touch  of  ex-  stoi'y  is  thoroly  interesting  and  ex- 
travagance,  and   with   a  consistent     citing."    [vSaturday  Review.        2240 

HISTORY.     [SEE  GEOGRAPHY.] 

TEK  BOYS  ^\^0  LIVED  ON  THE  ROAD  FROM  LONG 
AGO  TO  NOW  [by  J..  Andrews:  Lee,  1885]  "  and  whose  early  lives 
ar  here  sketched,  ar  Kablu,  the  Aryan  boy,  who  came  down  to 
the  Plains  of  the  Indus;  Darius,  the  Persian  boy,  who  knew  about 
Zoroaster;  Kleon,  who  ran  at  the  Olympic  Games;  Horatius, 
whose  ancestor  '  kept  the  bridge  so  wel ' ;  Wulf ,  who  helped  to 
make  England;  Gilbert,  the  Page,  who  wU  one  day  become  a 
Knight;  Roger,  who  longed  to  sail  the  Spanish  Main;  Ezekiel  Ful- 
ler, the  Pinitan  boy;  Jonathan  Dawson,  the  Yankee  boy;  and 
Frank  Wilson,  the  boy  of  1885,  who  rides  to  and  from  school  40 
miles  every  day  in  the  cars.  The  writer  has  designed  in  these 
very  interesting  sketches  to  trace  the  progress  of  our  race  from 
its  Aryan  som'ce  to  its  present  type,  Altho  this  book  describes 
children,  and  is  so  written  to  be  attractiv  as  wel  as  instructiv  to 
children,  the  account  of  their  surroundings  at  the  different  periods 
indicated  has  been  so  faithfully  studied  out,  and  is  so  clearly  de- 
scribed, that  few  grown  persons  wil  fail  to  enjoy  it  and  to  learn 
something  from  it.  The  style  makes  the  book  wel  suited  for  read- 
ing classes."     [Nation.  2300 

INVENTIONS. 

STORIES  OF  INVENTORS  [by  E:  Everett  Hale:  Roberts,  1885] 
"begins  with  Archimedes  and  Friar  Bacon,  and  ends  with  Nas- 
myth  and  Bessemer.  The  author's  method  is  to  allow  the  subjects 
to  tel  their  stories.  With  some  he  has  been  fairly  successful,  but 
with  others,  the  material  at  his  disposal  was  not  so  easUy  used. 
Much  in  the  account  of  the  steam-engine,  for  instance,  is  beyond 
the  intelligence  of  his  readers."     [Nation.  2340 

LIFE  OF  ROBERT  FULTON,  and  a  History  of  Steam  Navi- 
gation [by  T :  W.  Knox :  Putnam,  1886]  "  sketches  the  first 
attempts  at  river  boats  on  a  large  scale,  the  growth  of  the  fleet 
on  the  Great  Lakes,  the  early  boats  on  British  waters,  and,  most 
interesting   of   all,    perhaps,   the  history  of   the  Atlantic  traffic. 

120 


LITERATURE. 

The  romance  of  the  Cunard  and  Collins  and  Innian  and  Guion 
and  other  lines  is  told  with  fairly  minute  particulars  of  famous 
ships  and  memorable  disasters  and  fast  passages;  there  is  a  pa- 
thetic obituary  of  the  '  Great  Eastern '  and  a  closing  chapter  on 
naval  architecture  and  exploit."     [Boston  "  Lit.  World."         2345 

LITERATURE. 

THE  CHILDREN'S  BOOK.  [ed.  by  H.  E.  Scudder:  Houghton, 
1881.]  "  To  present  in  new  shapes  the  old  and  familiar  tales  of 
infancy  and  youth  is  the  perpetual  endeavor  of  publishers,  and 
this  season  we  hav  a  conspicuous  instance  in  '  The  Children's 
Book.'  Mr.  Scudder  may  be  said,  in  his  selections,  to  hav  sot  to 
'  sweep  the  decs,'  for  he  begins  with  Aesop,  and  carries  his  readers 
throu  fairy  tales,  folk-lore,  Andersen's  tales,  the  Ai-abian  Nights, 
the  moral  tales  of  Goldsmith,  Aiken,  Edgeworth,  and  Opie;  thi'ou 
GuUiver,  Munchausen,  and  classical  mythology;  to  say  nothing 
of  the  poetry — hymns,  ballads,  romances,  etc.  This  thic  quarto  is, 
of  course,  not  exliaustiv  of  the  sources  drawn  upon,  but  it  touches 
nearly  every  age  and  variety  of  taste."     [Nation.  2350 

FIRST  STEPS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE  [by  Arthur  Gil- 
man  :  Houghton,  1873]  "  is  not  meant  for  the  young  readers,  but 
all  young  folks  from  11  to  99  wil  find  it  ^'ery  useful  indeed.  It 
is  just  the  book  for  any  boy  or  girl  who  wishes  to  kno  what  Eng- 
lish literature  means,  where  it  comes  from,  what  it  is  good  for, 
and  how  it  is  to  be  enjoyed.  .Vnd  also  it  is  just  the  thing  for 
persons  who  kno  these  things,  and  who  like  to  hear  all  about  it 
again,  in  a  few  words.  It  is  a  very  long  book  or  a  very  short 
one,  just  as  j'ou  choose  to  make  it.  You  may  read  it  throu  in  a 
day,  or  you  may  study  and  study  it  for  months, — a  good  and 
safe  companion  always."     [St.  Nicholas.  2375 

STORIES  FROM  FAMOUS  BALLADS,  [by  "Grace  Green- 
wood " :  Ticknor,  18G0.]  "  All  famous  ballads  ar  so  close  to  Nature 
in  their  conceptions,  emotions,  incidents  and  expressions,  that 
it  seems  hardly  possible  to  change  their  form  without  losing  their 
soul.  The  present  little  volume  proves  that  they  may  be  turned 
into  prose  stories  for  children  and  yet  preserv  much  of  the  vitality 
of   then'    sentmient    and   the   interest    of   their   narrativ.     Grace 

121 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

Grreenwood  has  contrived  to  combine  simplicity  with  energy  and 
richness  of  diction,  and  to  present  the  events  and  characters  of 
the  ballads  in  the  form  best  calculated  to  fil  the  youthful  imagin- 
ation and  kindle  the  youthful  passion  for  love  and  adventure." 
[Atlantic.  2385 

TALES  FEOM  SH.UvESPEARE.  [by  C:  and  M..  Lamb,  with  a 
continuation  by  Harrison  S.  Morris.  In  four  volumes.  Lippincott, 
1S94.]  "  Lamb's  '  Tales '  hav  been  read  by  millions  of  people, 
most  of  whom  wished  that  the  authors  had  not  stopped  with  only 
about  half  of  the  plays.  Mr.  Morris  has  attempted  to  make  good 
the  deficiency,  and  thousands  of  young  people  should  feel  greatly 
obliged  to  him,  for  he  has  done  the  work  wel,  altho  the  Lambs 
used,  by  preference,  the  most  romantic  material,  ignoring  most 
of  the  historical  plays.  Any  one  not  yet  supplied  with  the  older 
tales  should  now  see  a  double  inducement  to  buy  them."  [God- 
ey's.  2395 

THE  GIRLHOOD  OF  SHAKSPERE'S  HEROINES,  [by 
M..  (NoveUo)  Clarke:  Putnam,  1851.]  "  The  design  seems  to  be 
a  portraiture  down  to  the  most  familiar  details  of  what  the  girl- 
hood of  Catherine,  Ophelia,  etc.,  must  hav  been.  Premising  that 
such  characters  really  livd  and  spoke  and  acted  as  Shakspere 
represents,  her  intention  is  to  let  us  kno  the  events  in  early  life 
which  shaped  their  minds  and  produced  those  mental  features, 
so  clearly  and  wonderfully  delineated  by  the  gTeat  di'amatist. 
The  shrew  Katherine  and  her  boy-lover  Giulio  Vinci  ar  drawn 
with  force.  The  spoiled  girl  is  here  before  us,  w^ho,  with  the 
fate  of  hiunan  natm'e,  is  to  become  the  shi'ew  of  Shakspere.  Bi- 
anca  is  as  clearly  represented  as  her  sister.     [So.  Lit.  Messenger. 

239G 

SHAKSPERE  FOR  THE  YOUNG  FOLK  [N.  Y.,  Ford,  1882] 
''  is  a  presentation  of  three  plays,  A  Midsummer  Night's  Dream, 
As  you  Like  It,  and  Julius  Caesar,  very  much  as  the  editor,  R.  E. 
Raymond,  might  read  them  to  an  audience  of  young  people;  that 
is,  with  parentheses  of  explanation  between  the  more  attractiv 
and  intelligible  dramatic  lines.  The  idea  is  capital  and  not  il 
carried  out."     [Atlantic.  2400 

THE  CHILDREN'S  GARLAND  FROM  THE  BEST  POETS, 
[by  Coventry  Patmore:  Cambridge  (Mass.),  1863.]     "  With  excellent 

122 


LITERATURE. 

judgment  and  discrimination,  the  editor  has  selected  more  than 
170  pieces  '  fitted  to  please  children  of  and  from  the  age  at  which 
they  hav  usually  learned  to  read.'  Among  the  pieces  thus  brot 
together  ar  many  of  the  fine  old  English  songs  and  ballads,  copious 
selections  from  Cowper,  Southey,  Campbell,  and  Wordsworth,  Lord 
Macaulay's  splendid  ballad  of  '  The  Ai'mada,'  and  poems  by 
Bryant,  LongfelloAv,  Lowell,  etc.  '  The  test  applied,'  says  the  edi- 
tor, '  has  been  that  of  having  actually  pleased  intelligent  children, 
and  my  object  has  been  to  make  a  book  which  shal  be  to  them  no 
more  nor  less  than  a  book  of  equally  good  poetry  is  to  grown 
persons.' "     [North  Amer.  Review.  2425 

CHILDREN'S    TREASURY    OF    ENGLISH    SONG,    [by    Fr. 
Turner  Palgrave :  Macmillan,  1875.]     "•  The  compiler's  taste  is  un- 
exceptionable.    He  has  had  in  vne  children  of  9  or  10  and  those  of 
15  or  16  years  of  age,  and  has  divided  his  work  mto  2  parts  accord- 
ingly.    The  selections  ar  mainly  lyi'ical  and  of  a  hi  order.     Foot- 
notes explain  difficult  or  obsolete  words,  and  at  the  end  ar  notes 
historical  and  critical  and  a  chronological  list  of  authors."     [Na- 
tion. 2430 
STORIES  FROM   THE   ITALEIN  POETS    [by   Leigh  Hunt: 
Chapman, — also  Putnam,  1846]  "  being  a  summary  in  Prose  of  the 
Poems  of  Dante,  Pulci,  Boiardo,  Ariosto,  and  Tasso,  with  com- 
ments. .  .  The  poems  ar  tm'ned  into  admirable  stories — the  swel, 
the  power,  the  passion,   and  the  beauty  of  Italian  verse,  ar  all 
made  manifest  and  familiar  to  the  common  everyday  eye  and 
ear — not  merely  by  translation,  but  by  rendering  their  fictions  into 
conversational,    life-like,    and    understandable    scenes,    incidents, 
and  characters,  which  move  and  speak  with  clearness,  force,  and 
meaning.     To  do  this  required  no  common  power,  and  Mr.  Hunt 
has  proved  himself  a  master  of  his  art;  he  has  thoroly  embodied 
the  spirit  of  the  originals,  and  placed  before  us  a  series  of  pic- 
tm-es,  the  truth  of  which  must  be  felt  by  all  ranks  and  kinds  of 
people,   and  which,   but  for  his  labors,  might  hav  remained    a 
mystery,  except  in  name.     To  strip  the  poems  of  the  great  Italian 
masters  of  their  floing  verse,  and  startling,  quaint  expression,  and 
by  inversion  and  reduction  bring  them  within  the  fireside  vue 
and  manner  of  speech,  without  saciificing  a  single  beauty  of  the 
original,   argues  almost  magical  power,  and,  tho  this  is  not  the 

123 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

age  of  mii'acles,  yet  the  task  has  been  accomplished;  that  which 
has  hitherto  been  a  volume  sealed,  a  fountain  closed,  is  now 
opened  fah'  to  the  eye,  and  overfloing  to  the  sense  and  fancy. 
All  hav  heard  of  Dante,  Ariosto,  Tasso,  &c.,  but  few  hav  been 
able  to  contemplate  their  beauties  or  drink  in  the  sphit  of  their 
labors."  [Albion.] — "  The  author  has  selected  the  best  inci- 
dents and  descriptions,  and  translated  them  into  a  poet's  prose. 
We  call  it  so,  for  its  picked  and  choice  expression.  The  simple 
strength,  the  earnestness,  the  passion,  in  the  prose  of  this  book, 
we  do  not  think  hav  ever  been  excelled.  Evei^  syllable  is  strait- 
forward,  sincere  and  unsui^erfluous.  The  mity  Florentine  stands 
out  from  the  rest  in  the  gruu  majesty  which  belongs  to  him.  We 
ar  not  aware  that  the  real  tinith  of  Dante's  connection  with  Bea- 
trice was  ever  distinctly  stated,  until  now,  by  Mr.  Hunt.  All  his 
biographers  seem  to  hav  shrunk  from  the  disenchanting  conclu- 
sion which  his  own  writings  lead  us  to  in  this  matter.  If  we 
mistake  not,  indeed,  Eossetti  founds  upon  the  sonnets  in  the  '  Vita 
Nuova,'  here  quoted  by  Mr.  Hunt,  a  pm^ely  abstract  and  allegor- 
ical meaning.  But  we  think  Mr.  Hunt  right;  and  ar  always  gi'ati- 
fied  for  the  truth  of  an3i:hing,  e^-en  when  it  brings  in  question  so 
world-wide  a  romance.  The  ^Hiunors  of  Giants '  and  the  'Battle 
of  Roncesvalles '  ar  the  subjects  taken  from  Pulci.  It  was  this  fine, 
honest,  mirthful  poet  who  first  blended  the  serious  and  facetious 
in  the  old  fables;  and  Mr.  Hunt,  who  finds  in  him  the  raiser  of 
romance  out  of  street  ballads,  and  the  founder  of  the  chivalrous 
epic,  has  done  him  hearty  justice.  Alas!  that  we  can  make  no 
stay  among  the  knights  and  damsels,  the  magicians  and  giants, 
the  enchanted  palaces  and  gardens,  the  flying  horses  and  harpies 
(all  so  true  to  themselvs,  all  so  consistent  with  the  laws  that 
govern  them),  which  crowd  the  wonderful  imagination,  and  the 
large-hearted,  liberal  fancy,  of  divine  and  glad  Ai'iosto."  [Ex- 
aminer. 2450 
TALES  FROM  ARIOSTO.  [Paul,  1ST9.]  "  The  story  of  '  brave 
Rinaldo's  lovely  lady '  is  a  sealed  book  to  all  children,  and  to  many 
grown  persons,  and  there  is  no  one  who  cares  about  literature 
at  all,  stil  less  who  cares  especially  for  the  great  epics,  who  wil 
not  be  grateful  to  the  editor  for  the  work  she  has  done  so  wel. 
It   is  not  everyone    who   feels   the   charm   of   these   tales.     The 

124 


NATURAL    SCIENCE. 

knights,  male  and  female,  and  the  beautiful  maidens  with  whom 
Spenser  has  made  us  familiar,  ar  a  weariness  to  the  flesh  of  man}' 
readers,  and  these  would  of  course  find  Ariosto  equally  tiresom. 
To  others  the  very  names  of  Sacripante  and  Bradamante  hav  an 
unspeakable  attraction;  for  they  transport  us  into  a  world  which 
is  not  fairj'-land,  nor  history,  nor  allegory,  but  a  world  apart, 
with  some  of  the  cliaracteristics  of  each,  and  a  light  and  color  pecu- 
liarly its  own."     [Satin'day  Ke\iew.  2455 

NATUEAL  SCIENCE. 

THE  YOUNG  FOLKS'  ASTRONOMY  [by  J:  D.  Champlin:  Holt, 
1881]  "  is  an  admirable  little  text-book  for  beginners,  who  6t  to 
find  it  as  entertaining  as  a  fauy  tale."     [Atlantic.  2500 

IN  THE  SKY-GARDEN  [by  Lizzie  (Williams)  Champney:  Bos- 
ton, Lockwood,  1870]  "  is  an  ingenious  and  felicitous  essay  to  teach 
children  a  fe^'  of  the  most  interesting  facts  about  stars.  It  does 
not  fall  into  the  error,  so  common  in  books  of  juvenile  science,  of 
appending  philosophical  explanations,  of  which  '  Science  in  Sport,' 
the  book  last  mentioned,  is  an  extreme  specimen.  It  is  adapted  to 
plastic  memories;  but  little  truth  is  told,  and  that  little  is  dressed 
in  cheerful,  wholesom  stories."     [Nation.  2505 

A  BUNCH  OF  WILD  FLOWERS  FOR  CHILDREN,  [by  Ida 

Prentiss  Whit  comb :  Randolph,  1891.]  "  The  author  has  arranged 
the  common  wild  flowers,  traced  their  family  resemblances,  and 
described  them  succinctly  but  effectivly  in  a  series  of  brief  chap- 
ters with  outline  illustrations  Avhich  greatly  aid  the  eye  and  sup- 
plement the  descriptions.  The  book  is  so  small,  so  simple,  and 
so  direct  in  style  that  it  is  eminently  fitted  to  be  the  companion 
of  children  in  their  out-of-door  life."     [Outlook.  2550 

THE  STORY  OF  A  MOUNTAIN,  [by  W:  Shepard  Walsh: 
Lippincott,  1889.]  "  How  a  mountain  is  born,  groes,  is  destroyed 
and  its  materials  redistributed,  how  it  serves  as  a  tide-mark  of 
geologic  ages,  what  flora  and  fauna  it  shelters  upon  its  bosom, 
is  told  with  skil  and  power.  From  first  to  last  the  economy  of 
water  is  wel  illustrated,  and  the  talk  about  rivers,  rils,  clouds, 
rain,  steam,  and  vapor — subterranean,  terrestrial  and  celestial — is 

125 


BUOHS   FOR   THE    YOUNG. 

maintained  with  spirit  between  Prof.  Morian  and  the  young  folk 
of  the  story.''     [Critic.  2600 

ON  THE  HILLS,  [by  F:  Starr:  Lothrop,  1890.]  "This  work 
consists  of  a  series  of  elementary  essays  on  geological  topics,  in 
a  style  fitted  to  attract  young  readers.  The  best  part  of  the  book 
is  the  good-humored  personal  element,  with  narrativ  of  the  author's 
field  experience,  by  which  the  essays  ar  brot  down  to  a  form  of 
statement  which  boys  may  easily  appreciate.  The  briter  readers 
of  such  a  book  may  be  led  to  the  excellent  result  of  going  out  on 
tlie  hils  themselvs  and  discovering  that  they  too  can  find  stories 
which  ar  worth  telling,  for  they  wil  be  flavored  with  the  delight 
of  personal  effort."     [Nation.  2G05 

THROUGH  MAGIC  GLASSES,  [by  Arabella  Burton  (Bucldey) 
Fisher:  Appleton,  1891.]  "The  glasses  ar  the  lenses  which  make 
the  telescope  and  microscope;  the  spectroscope  also,  and  the 
photo-camera,  with  their  wonderful  disclosures,  ar  brot  into  use. 
The  book  is  simply  a  clear,  animated  and  most  attractiv  introduc- 
tion to  the  study  both  of  astronomy  and  of  the  loer  forms  of  life." 
[Atlantic.  2700 

THE  STORIES  MOTHER  NATURE  TOLD  HER  CHILDREN 
[by  J..  Andrews :  Lee,  1888]  "  tels  some  of  nature's  quiet  laws  and 
habits  of  sea  and  land,  and  wil  help  supplement  the  imperfect 
knoledge  which  we  cannot  conceal  before  the  scrutinizing  questions 
of  childhood."     [Critic.  2705 

NATURAL  HISTORY. 

BIRCHWOOD.  [by  "Jak,"  i.  e.,  Annie  Bowles  Williams: 
Crowell,  1885.]  "A  city  boy  hires  himself  out  to  a  farmer  to 
pic  berries.  With  other  boys  and  girls,  he  forms  a  natural-history 
society.  They  fit  up  an  old  house  for  their  collections  of  wood, 
minerals,  birds  and  insects,  and  start  a  library  and  reading  room. 
The  story  is  naturally  told,  and  the  children  whose  doings  ar  re- 
corded ar  thoro  boys  and  girls."     [Nation.  2750 

THE  RIVERSIDE  MUSEUM  [1886]  "  is  a  distmct  advance  on 
'  Birch  wood,'  of  which  it  is  the  sequel.  The  author  shos  that  both 
boys  and  girls  can  find  much  pleasure,  as  wel  as  profit,  in  studying 
some  branch  of  natural  history.  The  narrativ  is  thoroly  healthful 
in  tone,  and  does  not  depend  upon  sensational  incidents  to  sustain 

126 


NATURAX,   HISTORY. 

its  interest.     The  account  of  the  old  naturalist  is  very  amusing." 
[Nation.  2751 

CHARLEY'S  TRIP  TO  THE  BLACK  MOUNTAIN  [by  G.  E. 
Roberts:  Masters,  1862]  "is  nothing  more  than  the  narrativ  of 
a  walk  with  a  boy  of  seven,  possessing  the  instincts  of  a  natur- 
alist. It  breathes  a  kindly  and  affectionate  sphit,  contains  some 
lively  descriptions  of  scenery,  and  the  bit  of  romance  introduced 
at  the  close  is  graceful  and  pretty.  We  may  caU  it  a  prose  idyl, 
and  believe  it  wel  calculated  to  find  favor  with  boys  of  the  thotful 
type."     [Parthenon.  2760 

HISTORY  OF  MY  PETS,  [by  "G..  Greenwood":  Ticknor,  1859; 
U.  S.  Book  Co.,1890.]  "We  bespeak  a  welcome  for  'Stories  of 
My  Childhood,'  now  reissued  after  thek  first  appearance,  but  com- 
paring favorably  with  the  major  part  of  our  juvenile  literature 
in  interest  and  in  literary  style.  They  hav  the  pre-eminent  merit, 
almost  lost  sight  of  in  the  too  conscious  productions  of  the  present 
day,  of  being  written  with  an  eye  single  to  the  children  who  ar 
invited  to  read  them.  Hence  clearness,  directness,  simplicity  in 
the  narrativ,  with  nothing  for  adults  to  read  between  the  lines." 
[Nation.  2800 

QUEER  LITTLE  PEOPLE  AND  THEIR  FRIENDS  [by  Har- 
riet (Beecher)  Stowe:  Ticknor,  1867]  "is  a  thoroly  delightful  and 
healthful  book.  The  childlike  love  of  beasts  and  birds  and  insects 
is  rightly  and  wisely  di'awn  upon,  not  by  asking  children  to  laf 
at  beasts  in  the  habits  of  men,  but  by  translating  the  real  life  of 
the  animals  into  humanity  as  literally  as  children's  intelligence 
would  allow.  There  ar  capital  bits  of  sathe  and  fun  in  them. 
We  hav  enjoyed  it  very  much,  and  expect  aU  wide-awake  children 
and  all  childlike  grown  people  to  enjoy  it  too."     [Nation,  2805 

JOE  AND  THE  HOWARDS  [by  C.  Stedman  Newhall:  Boston, 
Graves,  1869]  "  is  a  sensible,  pleasant  book  which  it  wil  do  most 
boys  and  girls  good  to  read,  '  I  think,'  says  its  author,  '  that  a 
child's  book  should  be  at  once  instructiv,  entertaiuing,  and  true 
to  nature.'  So  she  goes  on  to  make  a  book  by  using  what  she 
herself  has  learned  in  some  of  her  open-air  study  of  natural  his- 
tory, choosing  for  presentation  facts  which  the  children  may  them- 
selvs  observ  any  day  that  they  like  to  look  for  them.  But, 
facts  being  dry  things,  our  author  puts  them  into  a  story;  and 

127 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUN'G. 

this  she  does  so  wel — not  making  the  story  servile  to  the  facts, 
as  do  most  writers  who  make  her  attempt,  and  not  giving  us  im- 
possible personages,  but  personages  really  wel-drawn — that  she 
fairly  earns  the  praise  she  hoped  for,  of  being  both  entertaining 
and  true  to  nature."     [Nation.  2810 

OUK   DOMESTIC  TETS   [by  J:   G:  Wood:   Koutledge,   1870] 
"  givs  a  good  deal  of  information  about  the  best  ways  of  caging 
and  taming  various  birds,  insects  and  animals,  which  children  6t 
to  find  interesting  and  valuable.     ^Ir.  Wood  writes  pleasantly,  and 
with  a  practical  knoledge  of  his  subject  which,  while  it  admu'ably 
adapts  his  work  to  the  childi'en  for  whom  it  was  intended,  makes 
it  also  agreeable  reading  for  such  of  their  elders  as  take  interest 
in  the  various  matters  discussed.     The  hiving  and  swarming  of 
bees,  the  care  of  sUk-worms,  and  the  management  of  canaries,  ar 
among  the  numerous  topics  treated,  and  the  letter-press  is  accom- 
panied by  sufficiently  careful  diagrams  and  illustrations."     [Na- 
tion. 2815 
FEIENDS  WORTH  KNOWING  [by  Ernest  Ingersoll:  Harper, 
1881]  "  may  be  commended  as  an  agreeable  account,  sure  to  inter- 
est boys  and  girls,  of  the  manners  and  customs,  so  to  spealv,  of 
many  nativ  birds,  beasts  and  insects."     [Atlantic.  2820 
BEOTHEES  OF  PITY,  [by  J.  H.  (Gatty)  Ewing:  N.' Y.,  Young, 
1882.]     "  The  author  has  the  faculty  of  combining  scenes  and  in- 
cidents from  natural  history  with  the  forcible  teaching  of  needful 
lessons,  and  yet  without  the  least  suspicion  of  a  perfunctory  moral. 
It  is  a  surprise  to  find  a  book  so  simple  in  style,  so  picturesque, 
whether  it  be  by  a  mere  hint,  as  of  the  robin  redbreast  I;>ing  dead 
in  the  moonlit  quarry  and  the  sexton  beetles  busy  about  him,  or 
the  fuller  drawing  of  the  home  of  the  hedgehog."     [Nation.  2825 
NATUEAL  HISTOEY  FOE  YOUNG  FOLKS  [by  C.  (C.)  Camp- 
bell: Nelson,  1884]  "is  evidently  the  result  of  years  of  research 
on  the  part  of  the  author     Her  object  has  been  to  simplify  the 
more  scientific  side  of  the  subject,  and  '  to  explain  how  the  dif- 
ferent orders  of  animals,  from  man  down  to  the  ducbilled  platy- 
pus, resemble  one  another.'    The  chapters  ar  arranged  according 
to  the  latest  and  most  advanced  system,  and  the  book  is  not  too 
much  padded  with  anecdotes,  but  is  yet  thoroly   entertaining." 
[Saturday  Eevlew.  2S27 

128 


NATURAL   HISTORY. 

WINNEKS  I:N  LIFE'S  EACE  [by  Arabella  Bucldey  [Fisher]: 
Appleton,  1882]  "is  deyoted  to  the  vertebrates,  here  called  the 
'  great  bac-boned  family.'  This  book  is  a  successor  to  the  author's 
'  Life  and  Her  Children,'  which  treated  invertebrates.  .  .  A  careful 
examination  has  revealed  no  serious  errors,  and  from  incidental 
remarks  it  is  evident  that  the  author  [who  was  secretary  to  Sir  C : 
Lyell]  has  resorted  to  recent  and  eminent  authorities  for  the  facts 
which  ar  marshalled  with  praiseworthy  clearness  in  orderly  suc- 
cession. The  illustrations  ar  fresh  and  accurate.  There  is  little 
poetry,  no  cant,  and  no  objectionable  sentimentality.  There  is  an 
excellent  index."     [Nation.  2830 

LITTLE  FOLKS  IN  FEATHERS  AND  FUR  AND  OTHERS 
IN  NEITHER,  [by  "Olive  Thorne "  Miller:  Dutton,  1879.]  "Of 
this  book  we  can  speak  almost  unreservedly  in  praise.  It  is  very 
unconventional  talk,  on  the  childish  level,  about  penquins  and 
turtles,  and  earwigs,  and  armadilloes,  and  devil's  darning-needles, 
and  crabs,  and  codfish,  and  much  else.  The  illustrations  ar  ex- 
cellent."    [Nation.  2835 

QUEER  PETS  [by  "Olive  Thorne,"  i.  e.,  Harriet  (Mann)  Miller: 
Dutton,  1880]  "  comprises  a  collection  of  stories  descriptiv  of  the 
pets  of  a  little  girl.  Birds  and  animals  from  all  parts  of  the 
world  ar  purchased  for  her,  and  their  habits  and  peculiarities  ar 
chaimingly  described."     [Nation.  2840 

FOUR  FEET,  TWO  FEET,  AND  NO  FEET  [by  Laura  E. 
(Howe)  Richards:  Estes,  1885]  "is  a  most  attractiv  book.  It  is 
crammed  with  illustrations  remarkable  for  thek'  truthfulness  and 
beauty;  and  accompanied  by  short  stories,  prettily  told,  which 
convev  much  information  about  birds,  beasts  and  insects."  [Na- 
tion. "  2845 

THE  LOOKABOUT  CLUB  [by  M..  E.  Bamford:  Lothrop,  1887] 
"  givs  an  account  of  a  family  club  organized  by  some  dwellers  in 
the  country  and  of  the  curious  creatures  they  found  in  the  brooks 
and  fields.     It  is  pleasantly  written."     [Nation.  2850 

DOG  LIFE.  [Nelson,  1874.]  "  There  is  hardly  a  boy  of  any  age 
who  would  not  take  delight  in  the  stories  contained  in  this  wel- 
printed  volume.  The  subject  is  one  of  the  most  absorbing  and 
charming  which  can  be  set  before  the  young."     [Nation.  2900 

129 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 

THE  CAPTAIN'S  DOG  [by  L:  Enault:  Crowell,  1888]  "is  a 
charming  story.  The  dog's  character  and  intelligence  ar  drawn 
by  a  loving  hand,  his  human  companions  pleasantly  sketched,  and 
the  incidents  of  the  story  told  with  grace,  humor  and  esprit." 
[Nation.  2905 

THE  IVORY  KING  [by  C:  F:  Holder:  Scribner,  1886]  has 
"  chapters  on  mammoths  and  mastodons,  the  sacred  ^^^lite  Ele- 
phant of  Siam,  baby  elephants  and  trie  elephants,  and  of  the 
ivory  traffic)  in  Africa."     [Boston  "  Lit.  World."  2907 

OCEAN  WONDEES.  [by  W:  E.  Damon:  Appleton,  1879.] 
" '  Every  man,'  says  the  author,  '  6t  to  hav  a  hobby.  There  is  no 
real  life  without  enthusiasm  for  something;  and  there  is  no  pas- 
sion so  healthful  as  that  for  natural  objects.'  At  any  rate,  no 
hobby  can  be  so  wel  worth  pursuing  when  summering  in  the 
counti-y.  Tired  mothers  seated  here  or  there  on  a  stray  roc,  while 
their  children  ar  digging  in  the  sand,  and  wUling  but  unable  to 
answer  the  questions  which  these  constantly  ask,  wil  find  this  hand- 
some volume  as  necessary  as  a  shawl  and  a  sun-umbrella;  while 
children  of  a  larger  growth,  like  butterfly -hunters  in  the  interior, 
wU  by  its  aid  more  intelligently  and  thoroly  enjoy  all  the  strange 
products  of  the  sea."     [Library  Table.  3000 

BOYS  AT  CHEQUASSET  [by  A.  D.  (Train)  Whitney:  Loring, 
1865]  "  is  chiefly  devoted  to  delightful  annals  of  bird's-nesting,  with 
much  lore  about  the  eggs.  It  has  also  the  wholesom  moral  for 
parents,  that  a  taste  for  collecting  natural  objects,  besides  the 
innumerable  out-door  sympathies  to  which  it  leads,  is  one  of  the 
best  means  for  making  a  child  systematic  and  thoro  in  all  his 
ways."     [North  Amer.  Review.  3005 

THE  BUTTERFLY  HUNTERS,  [by  H..  Stevens  Conant:  Tick- 
nor,  1868.]  "  The  author's  aim  being  to  interest  the  young  in  a 
rather  tempting  natural  pursuit,  she  is  at  liberty  to  stimulate 
curiosity  by  the  use  of  almost  any  supposable  incidents  and  ad- 
ventures."    [Nation.  3100 

INSECT  LIVES,  [by  Julia  Perkins  (Pratt)  Ballard  (tl894): 
Cincinnati,  Clarke,  1879.]  "  The  introduction  givs  the  necessary 
information  to  the  beginner,  and  then  the  author  in  a  very  charm- 
ing and  easy  way  shos  from  her  own  experience  the  delights  of 
watching  the  spinning  of  the  cocoon  and  the  shedding  of  it,  and 

130 


POETRY. 


the  emergence  of  the  known  moth  from  the  unknown  shel;  how 
the  entomologist's  curiosity  is  piqued  and  gratified;  how  fastid- 
ious in  their  diet  worms  ar  found  to  be,  and  the  rest.  The  young 
naturalist  cannot  fail  to  be  stimulated  by  this  book,  and  wil  be 
rightly  directed  by  it."  [Nation.]—"  It  is  written  with  the  most 
agreeable  simplicity  and  good  sense.  The  volume  is  abundantly 
illustrated  with  the  wel-engraved  studies  of  insects  in  their  dif- 
ferent stages  of  transformation ;  and  it  is  to  be  as  cordially  praised 
for  these  as  for  the  graceful,  unaffected,  and  interesting  quality 
of  its  literature."     [Atlantic. 

SAME,  Among  the  Moths  and  Butterflies.  [Putnam,  1890.] 

"  The  author  has  gathered  numerous  interesting  and  curious  facts 
about  the  more  remarkable  American  insects.  Especial  attention 
has  been  given  to  the  rearing  of  the  mature  insect  from  the  co- 
coon, the  characteristics  of  the  chrysalides,  and  the  distinctiv  man- 
ners and  habits  of  the  various  caterpillars  and  their  parasites. 
The  illustrations  ar  exceptionally  fine.  Mrs.  Ballard  successfully 
avoids  technicalities  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  trashy  style  af- 
fected by  some  so-called  '  popular  '  writers.  We  do  not  kno  of  any 
book  better  fitted  to  interest  wel-grown  boys  and  girls  in  the 
insect  life  about  them."     [Nation.  3105 

MY  GARDEN  PETS  [by  M..  Sue  Adelia  (Davis)  Treat:  Lothrop, 
1887]  "  is  a  charming  little  book  for  old  or  young.  It  describes, 
in  unaffected  style,  some  phases  of  the  life  of  spiders,  ants  and 
wasps."     [Nation.  3110 

BUZ.  [by  Maurice  Noel:  Holt,  1886.]  "A  good  deal  of  infor- 
mation about  bees  is  very  pleasantly  given.  .  .  The  daily  life  of 
the  hive,  the  division  of  labor,  the  perils  of  the  bees,  and  theu- 
marvelous  instinct  ar  brot  clearly  before  the  mind.  One  forgets 
at  times  that  the  purpos  of  the  book  is  not  simply  entertainment, 
but  instruction."     [Nation.  3115 

POETRY. 

THE  BROWNIES:  Then-  Book,  [by  Palmer  Cox:  Century  Co., 
1887.]  "These  tiny,  moon-eyed  grotesquCvS  now  hav  a  whole 
boo]-:  wherein  to  disport  themselvs,  and  may  clamber  and 
scamper  and  skip  and  slide  throu  144  pages.     So  eager  and  irre- 

131 


BCOiTft   FOR    THE   YOrXG. 

pressible  ar  they  that  they  even  tumble  and  pour  out  over  the 
cover.  Within,  we  find  them  skating,  bicycling,  playing  tennis 
and  base-ball,  canoeing,  tobogganing,  visiting  the  circus  and  men- 
agerie— and,  indeed,  it  is  difficult  to  mention  any  amusement, 
lilvely  to  commend  itself  to  a  wel-regulated  Brownie  in  which 
they  hav  not  indulged."     [Critic.  3498 

ANOTHER  BEOWN^IE  BOOK  [by  Palmer  Cox:  Century  Co., 
1S90]  "  seems  like  an  international  exhibition  of  Brownies,  there 
is  such  a  crowd  of  them  in  policemen's  helmets,  Chinese  cues, 
German  jJeaked  hats,  French  blouses  and  every  conceivable  na- 
tional and  professional  costume.  Their  sports  and  vocations  ar 
as  varied  as  their  dresses.  They  congregate  like  the  peoples  on 
the  plain  of  Shinar  to  build  a  colossal  sno  man;  they  deliver  the 
most  subversiv  scientific  lectures  in  the  academy;  they  hav  a 
yacht-race  worthy  of  being  reported  in  any  number  of  '  extras ' ; 
they  hit  the  mark  in  every  sense  at  an  archery  competition;  and 
they  hav  that  degree  of  success  when  the,y  go  fishing  which  hu- 
man fishermen  claun  to  hav."     [Critic.  3499 

THE  BROWNIES  AT  HOME,  [by  Palmer  Cox:  Centm-y  Co., 
1893.]  "  Any  chOd  who  had  not  already  become  acquainted  with 
Mr.  Cox's  '  Brownies '  is  to  be  pitied,  for  the  artist's  little  people 
ar  so  numerous  and  so  funny  that  children  who  hav  not  met  them 
hav  missed  a  great  lot  of  fun."  [Oodey's.] — "  If  a  thotful  person 
wer  called  upon  for  a  reason  for  the  hi  esteem  in  which  the 
Brownies  ar  held,  he  might  truly  say  it  is  because  of  their  in- 
domitable energy.  Their  drolery  of  figure,  face  and  action  is 
surely  something  to  admire,  but  it  is  their  energy,  their  dauntless 
refusal  to  be  suppressed,  which  makes  them  just  what  they  ar.  And 
is  it  too  fanciful  to  imagiu  that  Mr.  Cox  shares  with  his  offspring 
this  excellent  (luality?  When  one  thinks  he  has  led  his  children 
their  very  last  dance,  lo  and  behold!  he  and  they  tm'n  up  again; 
and  then  it  is  all  hands  round,  down  the  middle,  into  the  secret 
places  of  the  White  House  or  over  the  face  of  the  World's  Fair, 
in  just  the  same  amusing,  krepressible  swarms  as  of  old."  [At- 
lantic. 3500 

THE  BROWNIES  AROUND  THE  WORLD  [by  Palmer  Cox: 
Century  Co.;  Unwin,  1894]  "  wil  rejoice  the  hearts  of  children. 
The  pictures  of  this  antic  folk  ar  as  full  of  drolery  as  ever.     Their 

132 


FICTION:— ANIMAL    STORIES. 


passage  across  the  Atlantic  on  a  raft  suggests  some  of  the  most 
diverting  drawings.  They  visit  all  the  countries  of  Em'ope  and 
not  a  few  in  Asia,  and  everj^^here  sho  themselves  to  be  a  race 
of  iniinite  freak  and  urepressible  fun."  [Saturday  Keview.] — 
"The  ever-welcom  little  beings  swarm  as  usual  over  the  pages, 
getting  themselvs  into  and  out  of  new  scrapes,  and  entertaining 
their  admirers  with  new  antics,  while  they  vue  the  world  and  its 
wonders  and  comment  upon  them."     [Nation.  3501 

LITTLE-FOLK  LYRICS,  [by  Frank  Dempster  Sherman:  Hough- 
ton, 1892.]  "  A  little  volume  of  playful  verse,  in  which  the  writer 
almost  unconsciously,  one  may  say,  for  the  most  part  dramatizes 
as  an  imaginativ  and  fancifid  child.  He  is  not  quite  so  original 
in  this  as  Mr.  Ste\enson  in  his  inimitable  A  Child's  Garden  of 
Verse,  but  he  is  by  no  means  without  his  own  special  skill  and 
charm.  The  verses  ar  such  as  a  happy,  healthly-minded  child  wil 
enjoy  in  companionship  ^ith  an  older  friend,  and  the  older  reader 
wil  find  a  common  ground  on  which  they  may  meet."     [Atlantic, 

3515 

ANBIAL  STORIES. 


^SOP'S  FABLES,  [by  T:  .Tames: 
Murraj%  184S.]  "  Fables —that  is, 
moral  or  prudential  tales,  having 
beasts,  birds,  or  other  irrational 
objects  for  speakers,— ar  indebted, 
if  not  for  their  origin,  at  least  for 
their  introduction  into  Greece  to 
^sop.  Yet  the  fame  of  iEsop  rests 
solely  on  tradition.  There  is  great 
wisdom  and  not  a  little  wit  in  these 
fables.  Probably  there  is  no  other 
book,  of  the  same  compas,  in  which 
so  many  valuable  lessons  ar  sug- 
gested to  human  prudence.  We  find 
'  sermons  in  stones,  and  good  iu 
everything,'  The  value  of  the  pre- 
cept is  incontestable  in  every  case; 
and  could  we  trace  all  our  knoledge 
to  its  source,  we  should  be  surprised, 
perhaps,  to  see  how  much  of  what 
is  practical  and  useful  in  life  we  o 
to  fables.  This  edition  is  remark- 
able for  the  clearness  and  concise- 
ness with  which  each  tale  is  nar- 
rated;  and   the   reader   wil   not   be 


slo  to  acknoledge  his  gratitude  to 
Mr,  James  for  having  relieved  the 
book  from  those  tedious  and  un- 
profitable appendages,  called  '  mor- 
als,' which  used  to  obscure  and  dis- 
figure the  older  editions,"  [Exam- 
iner, 3601 

THE  .JUNGLE  BOOK,  [by  Rud- 
yard  Kipling:  Century  Co,,  1894,] 
"  Mr,  Kipling  is  a  nineteenth-cen- 
tury ^sop.  In  this  spirited,  delight- 
ful book  he  has  dramatized  the 
beasts  of  the  jungle,  the  wolf,  the 
tiger,  the  jackal,  the  elephant,  the 
panther,  and  has  even  associated 
a  man  cub  with  them;  he  has  en- 
tered also  into  the  hide  of  the  camel, 
the  mule,  the  terrier,  and  the  horse, 
and  all  for  the  sake,  not  of  pointing 
a  moral,  but  of  delineating  charac- 
ter, and  telling  the  varied  life  which 
goes  on  just  beyond  the  inner  eye 
of  man.  Verily  man  is  extending 
his  kingdom  of  letters,    Barye's  ani- 


133 


BOOKS  ron   THE   YOUNG. 


mals  ar  hardly  more  works  of  art 
than  ar  Kipling's."    [Atlantic.    3615 

THE  JOYOUS  STORY  OF  TOTO 
[by  Laura  E.  (Howe)  Richards,  Lon- 
don: Blackie,  1886]  "may  be  read 
with  pleasure  by  most  children,  and 
by  some  grown  people,  too.  The 
language  is  natural  and  humorous, 
and  the  conversation  of  Toto  and 
the  creatures  of  the  forest,  who  ar 
his  only  playmates,  is  spontaneous 
and  spirited.  Miss  (sic)  Richards 
has  an  amusing  way  of  individual- 
izing the  characters  of  these  friends 
—the  bear,  the  raccoon,  the  squirrel, 
etc.— who  all  meet  to  enliven  the 
blind  leisure  of  Toto's  grandmother 
in  a  lonely  cottage  in  a  wood.  Toto 
is  not  thron  into  slumber  in  order 
to  hear  and  see  these  thmgs,  and 
the  author  has  recourse  to  no  ar- 
tifice to  create  an  illusion.  Utterly 
impossible  things  happen  in  a  prob- 
able and  natural  manner  which  lit- 
tle people  may  believe  in  or  not 
as  they  list.  Toto  himself  is  a  nice 
healthy  American  boy.  The  book 
contains  extravagant  stories  within 
a  story  extravagant  in  itself.  Some 
of  the  creatures  ar  not  bad  racon- 
teurs, and  the  grandmother's  tales 
ar,  considering  their  soiu'ce,  delight- 
fully purposless  and  moralless." 
[Saturday  Review.  3625 

MOTHER  MICHEL  AND  HER 
CAT  [by  Emile  de  la  BedoUiere: 
Phil'a,  Leypoldt,  1864]  "is  a  de- 
lightful little  book  for  young  people. 
.  .  .  The  story  was,  we  think,  in- 
tended, in  a  quietly  humorous  way, 
to  travesty  the  style  of  such  novels 
as  '  The  Mysteries  of  Paris.'  It 
leads  Mother  Michel's  cat  throu 
many  perilous  adventures,  occa- 
sioned by  the  animosity  of  a  deadly 
human  fo;  but  it  givs  the  excellent 
animal  a  calm  death,  at  last,  at  a 
venerable  age,  as  also  a  monument 
and  an  epitaph.  The  grotesque  idea 
of  the  tale  is  exceedingly  pleasing  to 
fancy,  and  there  is  good  natural  wit 


and  contagious  sprightliness  in  the 
manner  of  its  elaboration."    [Albion. 

3640 

LITTLE  SPECKLY,  or  The  Ad- 
ventures of  a  Chicken,  told  by  Her- 
self, [Routledge,  1878]  "is  a  fable 
of  French  origin,  and  very  good  and 
wholesom  in  every  vfaj.  This  ex- 
traordinary fowl,  who  escapes  the 
pot  with  unvarying  success  amid  all 
her  shifting  experiences  hi  and  lo, 
city  and  barnyard  and  forest  life, 
would  be  perfectly  happy  but  for 
the  acquired  knoledge  that  she  has 
no  soul.  She  contrives,  however,  to 
furnish  many  a  salutary  lesson  to 
those  who  hav  souls  in  the  course 
of  her  entertaining  narrativ,  and 
may  wel  become  as  an  authoress 
the  pet  which  she  began  and  ended 
by  being  on  account  of  her  resem- 
blance   to    a    partridge."      [Nation. 

3650 

UNDER  THE  DOG-STAR,  [by 
"  Ma.  Vandergrift,"  i.  e..  Ma.  T. 
Janvier:  Porter,  1881.]  "  '  Jock ' 
writes  his  autobiography,  which  we 
ar  by  turns  ready  to  pronounce  most 
canine  or  most  human,  to  prove  the 
falsity  of  the  common  sayings  about 
'  a  dog's  life '  and  '  a  cat-and-dog 
life.'  He  inserts  the  stories  to  which 
he  from  time  to  time  listens  with 
his  play-mates  the  children.  One  of 
them,  '  The  Onion  that  Sprouted,' 
is  quite  a  marvel  of  the  story-teller's 
art,  in  its  unaffected  simplicity  and 
its  faint  touch  of  pathos.  Its  moral 
is  exactly  the  one  which  the  history 
of  '  the  Peppers  '  failed  to  teach- 
that  keen,  sweet  pleasure  may  be 
found  in  the  love  and  care  of  little 
things."    [Nation.  3665 

FAIRY  STORIES. 

FAIRY  TALES:  Their  Origin  and 
Meaning  [by  J:  Thackeray  Bunce: 
Macmillan,  1878]  "  fairly  down  to 
the  level  of  childish  comprehension, 
and  simply  and  entertainingly  com- 


134 


FICTION:— FAIRY    STORIES. 


posed.    Nothing  but  good  can  come 
of  the  comparisons  here   instituted 
between   the   mythology    and   folk- 
lore of  the  several  Aryan  nations. 
Norse,     Gaelic,     German,     Russian, 
Greek,    and    Indian    fables    ar    de- 
lightfully   mingled,   and  their  iden- 
tity established  with  an  effect  quite 
broadening   to    the  juvenile   under- 
standing."   [Nation.  3700 
THE    FAIRY   BOOK    [by    Dinah 
Maria   (Muloch)   Craik:   Macmillan, 
1863]  "  givs  us  all  the  old  favor  its, 
and  most  of  the   pretty   stories   of 
Mrs.   D'Aulnoy.      There   ar   also   a 
few  tales  of  German  or  Scandina- 
vian origin.    The  old  English  stories 
of    'Jack  the   Giant   Killer,'    'Tom 
Thumb,'  &c.,  hav  been  left  unaltered 
in  their  '  charming  Saxon  simplicity 
of  style,  and  intense  realism  of  nar- 
ration.' "    [Parthenon.  3702 
A   STOREHOUSE  OF  STORIES, 
[ed.   by  C.   M..  Yonge:  Macmillan, 
1872.]       "  Its  contents  could  il  hav 
been  suffered  to  pass  away  and  be 
forgotten.      Every   one   of   its    four 
hundred  solidly  printed  pages  is  a 
legitimate  possession  of  the  English- 
speaking  nursery.    '  Evenings  at  my 
Grandmother's  '   and   '  Elements   of 
Morality '  occupy  by  far  the  greater 
portion  of  the  book.    With  the  first- 
named,   the   three   or  four  Persian 
stories   called   '  Blossoms   of  Moral- 
ity '  fit  very  wel,  and  '  A  Puzzle  for 
a  Curious  Girl '  naturally  pairs  off 
with     Salzmann's    prosaic    modern 
and     realistic      '  Moralisches     Ele- 
mentarbuch.'      This    last    is    given 
in   the   translation    by    Mary   Woll- 
stonecraft.   .   .   '  Family  Stories '  ar 
downright   fairy  tales  of  the   most 
approved  description,  and  ar  hinged 
on  to  the  various  actions— conduct 
and    misconduct— of   an   interesting 
family  of  eight  generations,  just  one 
year  apart  in  age."    [Nation.      3704 
BEAUTY     AND     THE     BEAST. 
[Cundall,  1843.]    To  Perrault  (1628- 


1703),  whatever  the  Messrs.  Grimm 
may  say,  we  o  the  popular  form  of 
this  most  enchanting  of  all  the  fairy 
tales.    We    call    it    so,    because    its 
moral  is  one  which  can  not  sink  too 
early   or  too  deeply   into  children's 
hearts:    the    lesson    which    teaches 
them  that  gentleness  and  grace  of 
mind,  that  loveliness  and  beauty  of 
soul,   may  triumph  over  the  worst 
disadvantages      of      ugliness      and 
worldly   privation.    Perrault  was  a 
man  of  real  depth  and  great  variety 
of  acquirements;  and  in  a  cheerful 
old  age  turned  to  this  wise  work  of 
instructing    and    entertaining    chil- 
dren."   [Examiner.  3708 
FRIENDS     AND     FOES     FROM 
FAIRY  LAND  [by  Lord  Brabourne: 
Little,  1885]  "  deals  altogether  with 
elvs  and  witches,  in  3  stories  of  un- 
equal length,  but  all  markedly  orig- 
inal in  treatment,  wel  sustained  in 
interest,  and  excellent  in  style,  tho 
there  is  no  condescension  to  the  in- 
fant vocabulary.    There  is  true  im- 
agination in  developing  the  several 
characters,  whether  human  or  brute, 
and  it  is  seldom  that  descriptions  of 
natural    scenery     ar    so     felicitous 
without  being  labored  or  conscious." 
[Nation.  3710 
THE  NECKLACE  OF  PRINCESS 
FIORIMONDE  [by  M..  De  Morgan: 
Macmillan,   1880]    "is   a    charming, 
fresh  and  genuin  collection,  and  of 
even  merit.    The  first  three  of  the 
seven  stories  hav  to  do  with  malig- 
nant witchcraft;  the  last,  the  '  Wise 
Princess,'   is   an   allegory,   teaching 
that  happiness  and  duty  ar  insepar- 
able; while  the  'Pedlar's  Pack,'  the 
'  Bread     of     Discontent,'     and     the 
'  Three  Clever  Kings,'  ar  so  many 
clever    satires    with    very    obvious 
morals."    [Nation.  3715 
CRYSTALLINE;  or  the  Heiress  of 
Fall  Down  Castle  [by  F:  W.  Shelton: 
Scribner,    1854]    "  is    the    old    story 
of    '  the    Maid    and    the    Magpie  ' 


135 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


worked  over,  and  made  as  good  as 
new.  We  feel  that  a  delicate  spirit 
is  at  work  subtilizing  the  main 
facts  of  the  legend,  and  imparting 
a  rare  poetical  meaning  to  its  litest 
details.  In  its  present  form  the 
whole  is  a  dainty  prose  poem."  [Al- 
bion. 3720 
A  BOOK  OF  FAIRY  TALES,  [by 
Sabine  B.  Gould:  Dodd,  1894.] 
'  Whoever  values  his  eyesight  wil 
not  read  far  in  this  volume.  Tho 
the  type  is  good  and  clear,  and  the 
paper  exceptionally  unreflecting,  the 
page  is  quite  spoiled  for  want  of 
leads."    [Nation.  3725 

TING-A-LING  [by  Frank  R: 
Stockton:  Hurd,  1869]  "  is  the  name 
of  the  fairy-hero  of  this  rollicking 
set  of  stories.  He  is  the  smallest 
kind  of  a  fairy,  as  one  may  guess 
by  knoing  that  his  sweetheart,  Ling- 
a-Ting,  was  drowned  in  a  tear.  He 
is  the  intimate  friend  of  the  largest 
and  most  amiable  of  giants,  and  the 
two  together  confound  the  machina- 
tion of  the  most  deformed  of  dwarfs, 
in  aid  of  the  loveliest  of  princesses 
and  the  most  gallant  of  princes. 
The  regular  fairy  story  machinery 
is  put  in  requisition,  especially  that 
of  the  Arabian  Nights.  But  as  no 
person  capable  of  inventing  so  good 
stories  as  those  of  the  Thousand  and 
One  Nights  wil  ever  do  so  with  the 
earnestness  which  givs  those  im- 
mortal tales  their  chief  fascination, 
so  the  author  of  '  Ting-a-Ling,'  tho 
he  relates  with  an  ingenuity  which 
wil  claim  the  youthful  attention, 
does  so  in  such  an  evident  spirit  of 
burlesque  that  he  must  draw  forth 
the  protestations  of  all  but  the  very 
youngest  of  his  readers — or  the  old- 
est. A  good  deal  of  enjoyment,  we 
should  think,  could  be  got  out  of 
it  when  the  oldest  read  it  to  the 
youngest,  especially  from  the  ac- 
count of  the  five  magicians,  and 
their  offering  to  the  dwarf.    The  pic- 


tures ar  notably  commendable,  being 
full  of  humor."    [Nation.  3730 

THE  FLOATING  PRINCE,  [by 
Frank  R:  Stockton:  Scribner,  1881.] 
"  Mr.  Stockton  easily  surpasses  in 
humor  all  American  writers  for  chil- 
dren. His  drolery  is  as  spontane- 
ous and  unexpected  and  original  as 
that  in  '  Alice's  Adventures.'  Noth- 
ing can  be  more  absurdly  clever 
than  those  stories.  We  must  ask 
pardon  of  the  readers  of  St.  Nicho- 
las for  assuming  that  everybody 
does  not  luio  that  the  Floating 
Prince  is  a  young  gentleman  of  good 
family  who  starts  on  his  travels  in 
search  of  all  the  other  requisits  of 
a  kingdom  besides  a  ruler,  and  pics 
up  his  army  and  navy  and  chan- 
cellor-of-the-exchequer  and  aristoc- 
racy and  common  people  as  he  goes 
along.  The  school-boy  aristocrats 
desert,  and  their  adventures  form  a 
story  by  itself,  and  less  lafable  than 
that  to  which  it  serves  as  a  sequel. 
Here  the  central  conceit  is  of  a 
city  which  runs  down  and  has  to 
be  wound  up."  [Nation.]—"  It  is  a 
capital  book,  if  one  has  lost  all  his 
reverence  for  fairies.  If  the  com- 
parison is  not  too  shocking,  it  is  a 
sort  of  atheistical  fairy-book,  very 
funny,  very  clever,  and  very  en- 
joyable, if  one  has  got  over  his  be- 
lief. We  recommend  it  to  all  parents, 
and  they  can  do  as  they  think  best 
about  shoing  it  to  their  children." 
[Atlantic.  3731 

THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN.  [by 
Frank  R:  Stockton  (1834—):  Scribner, 
—Low,  1887.]  "  Nothing  could  be 
more  inimitably  and  inexhaustibly 
delitful  than  this  sheaf  of  '  fanciful 
tales.'  .  .  We  think  that  older  people 
appreciate  even  better  than  chil- 
dren their  demure  and  elusiv  humor, 
as  they  do  that  of  '  Alice's  Adven- 
tures.' The  book  is  full  of  people 
who  ar  entitled  to  become  classic 
figures— the    Bee-Man    himself,    the 


136 


FICTION:— FAIRY    STORIES. 


Languid  Youth,  the  Very  Imp,  the 
Griffin  and  the  Minor  Canon,  Old 
Pipes,  the  Jolly-cum-pop,  and  the 
rest  of  the  genial  and  plausibly  im- 
possible train.  Mr.  Stockton's  sunny 
fancy  has  done  more  than  to  giv  a 
great  many  people  pleasant  half- 
hours  from  time  to  time;  it  has 
really  added  a  distinct  charm  to  lit- 
erature, and,  so  far  forth,  to  life." 
[Overland.]—"  Imagin  an  orthodox 
fairy  tale  addressed  to  grown  peo- 
ple, told  in  the  language  of  the  most 
modern  every-day  life,  and  stripped 
of  mystic  meaning  or  commonplace 
moral;  ad  to  it  a  number  of  sly  and 
lightly  aimed  hits  at  human  foibles 
—that  is  a  description  of  Mr.  Stocli- 
ton's  new  stories.  It  would  be  idle 
to  describe  the  fanciful  humor  of 
them."  [Athenaeum.]—"  The  method 
by  which  Mr.  Stockton  controls  the 
vagaries  of  his  familiar  is  wel 
known.  His  work  is  gravely  to 
demonstrate  a  grotesque  or  ridicu- 
lous proposition  in  plain  and  dii'ect 
language.  The  writers  of  the  fa- 
mous fairy  stories  of  all  ages  and 
climes  knew  the  value  of  this 
method,  and  furious  satirists  hav 
availed  themselvs  of  it  at  once  to 
cloak  their  literal  meaning  and  to 
poison  their  shafts.  Mr.  Stockton 
uses  it  neither  to  scourge  evil  nor 
to  reform  abuse,  but  with  the  wholy 
beneficent  intention  of  provoking 
spontaneous  lafter.  In  the  story  of 
'  The  Griffin  and  the  Minor  Canon  ' 
there  is  a  hint  of  more  serious  pur- 
pos.  Here  the  author  seems  to  emu- 
late those  achievements  of  true 
humorists  which  ar  greater  tho  not 
rarer  than  is  the  successful  pro- 
vision of  pure  amusement.  Beneath 
the  fantastic  imagery  it  is  not  hard 
to  discern  the  self-seeking  ungen- 
erous, cowardly  mob  contrasted  with 
the  exceptionally  modest,  unselfish 
and  courageous  individual.  The 
griffin  is  a  novel  symbol  for  even- 


handed  justice,  encouraging  the 
good  and  terrorizing  the  wicked.  He 
is  a  creature  of  most  upright  soul, 
of  beautiful  discrimination  and  in- 
sight. We  can  not  but  regret  his 
demise,  and  wish  that  it  wer  pos- 
sible to  resuscitate  him.  Here  and 
there  on  the  earth's  surface  may  stil 
be  found  a  community  which  would 
be  none  the  worse  of  a  permanent 
griffin  to  persuade  it,  by  wagging  his 
red-hot  tail,  to  honor  and  reverence 
a  minor  canon."    [Nation.  3732 

THE  WATCHMAKER'S  WIFE, 
AND  OTHER  STORIES,  [by  Frank 
R:  Stockton:  Scribners,  1894.] 
"  There  is  always  an  access  to  hon- 
est pleasure  when  a  fresh  volume 
of  Mr.  Stockton's  stories  comes  out. 
Never  did  one  keep  the  same  manner 
so  unchangeably,  and  yet  vary  the 
incidents  so  widely.  It  is  interest- 
ing, by  the  way,  to  note  how  fre- 
quently this  writer  ads  to  the  ef- 
fectivness  of  his  stories  by  making 
the  story-teller  one  of  the  charac- 
ters. It  is  an  affidavit  of  the  credi- 
bility of  the  tale,  which  the  tale 
sometimes       requires."       [Atlantic. 

3733 

ADVENTURES  IN  FAIRY 
LAND  [by  R:  H:  Stoddard  (1825-): 
Ticknor,  1853]  "  is  one  of  the  most 
charming  little  series  of  fantasies 
which  ever  came  from  the  pen  of  a 
poet.  The  airy  creations  of  the 
gifted  author  liv  and  move  in  an 
atmosphere  of  love  which  seems  to 
belong  to  the  '  heaven  '  which  '  lies 
about  our  infancy.'  Too  much 
praise  can  not  be  bestowed  upon  the 
purity  and  tenderness  of  thot  which 
pervade  the  volume.  Mr.  Stoddard 
has  proved  himself  the  friend  and 
benefactor  of  children  by  the  de- 
licious '  adventures,'  and  many  a 
fireside  wil  be  gladdened  by  them." 
[Southern  Lit.  Messenger.  3736 

THE  ROSE  AND  THE  RING  [by 
"Michael  Angelo  Titmarsh":  Har- 
per, 1855]  "  is  a  charming  little  piece 


137 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


of  foolery,  illustrated  with  the  most 
grotesque  designs.  It  was  produced 
for  the  Christmas  diversion  of  some 
English  children.  No  doubt  these 
little  folk  wer  delited  with  the 
Fairy  Blacstic  and  her  marvelous 
doings,  and  with  the  beautiful  Bet- 
sinda,  while  Kutazoff,  HedzofE  and 
Hogginarmor  enabled  them  to  '  sup 
full  of  horrors.'  Everywhere  the 
bright  wit  of  Mr.  Titmarsh  flashes 
throu,  like  a  blade  beneath  a  worn 
and  rusted  scabbard."  [Southern 
Lit.  Messenger.  3737 

THE  CARAVAN,  [by  W:  Hauff 
(1802-27) :  Appleton,  1850.]  "  This  is 
a  good  translation  of  a  good  book. 
The  stories  ar  thoroly  German,  tho 
the  costume  and  manners  ar  Asiatic, 
and  from  their  supernatural  char- 
acter, take  a  strong  hold  upon  the 
feelings  throu  the  imagination.  The 
Spectre  Ship  is  especially  powerful." 
[Graham's  Mag.  3738 

ARABIAN  DAYS'  ENTERTAIN- 
MENTS, [by  W:  Hauff  (1802-27): 
Boston,  Phillips,  1859.]  "All  of  us 
remember  the  Arabian  Nights,  the 
delight  of  childhood,  the  intoxica- 
tion of  hours  stolen  from  the  play- 
ground or  the  declension  of  p  e  n  n  a 
—ah,  what  would  we  not  giv  to 
read  it  once  again  with  the  fresh- 
ness and  joy  of  its  first  perusal, 
when  our  faith  was  firm  in  the  ring 
and  the  lamp,  when  all  its  rosy 
lights  invested  our  future,  and  each 
one  of  us  looked  forward  with  con- 
fidence to  the  possible  palace  and  its 
attendant  vassals!  So  tenderly  does 
the  memory  of  that  early  enchant- 
ment linger  in  our  heart,  that  we 
ar  inclined  to  regard  with  the 
greatest  favor  all  books  designed  to 
afford  children  a  like  satisfaction. 
This  volume  consists  of  a  series  of 
stories  in  which  the  glorious  ab- 
surdities of  Oriental  reverie  ar 
mingled  with  the  fantasies  of  Teu- 
tonic   superstition.    .    .    .    The   title 


of  '  Arabian  Days'  Entertainments  ' 
is  promising  of  enjoyment,  and  the 
promis  is  more  than  kept,  for  the 
stories  ar  not  only  fascinating,  but 
pure  and  innocent."  [So.  Lit.  Mes- 
senger. 3739 

HAUFF'S  TALES.  "  A  Hauff  re- 
vival is  by  no  means  a  bad  feature 
of  the  juvenile  publications  of  the 
current  season.  There  is,  to  begin 
with,  a  new  issue  of  Houghton,  Mif- 
fiin  &  Co.'s  edition  of  the  '  March- 
enalmanach,'  Avhich  they  appropri- 
ately entitle  '  The  Arabian  Days' 
Entertainments ' ;  then  comes  the 
fresh  translation,  by  E:  L.  Stowell, 
styled  '  Tales  of  the  Caravan,  Inn, 
and  Palace'  (Chicago:  McClurg); 
and  finally,  six  of  the  series  (less 
than  half),  without  their  setting,  ar 
presented  in  Pinkerton's  '  Little 
Mook,  and  Other  Fairy  Tales '  (Put- 
nams).  All  these  versions  ar  illus- 
trated, and  the  last  two  hav  partly 
borrowed  from  the  same  source.  Mr. 
Stowell's  is  to  be  praised  for  its 
fidelity  and  completeness,  and  for 
its  good  English;  Mr.  Pinkerton's  is 
rather  to  be  called  a  paraphrase. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  New  York 
edition  is  somewhat  more  open  and 
tasteful  in  its  typography.  These 
ar  the  main  considerations  for  pur- 
chasers, who  will  in  any  well- 
stocked  bookstore  find  all  three  vol- 
umes side  by  side  for  comparison. 
Nor  wil  it  come  amiss  to  examin, 
if  accessible,  the  '  Selections  from 
Hauff's  Stories,'  published  two 
years  ago  by  the  Rivingtons  (Lon- 
don). Designed  by  its  teacher-edi- 
tors as  a  first  German  reading-book 
for  schools,  it  contains  '  The  Caliph 
Stork.'  '  The  Phantom  Crew,'  '  The 
Amputated  Hand,'  'The  Rescue  of 
Fatima,'  '  Little  Mudj,'  and  '  The 
False  Prince '  in  the  original  text, 
with  an  exhaustiv  vocabulary, 
while  the  fifth  and  sixth  stories 
ar  closely  translated  in  an  appendix. 


138 


FICTION:— FAIRY    STORIES. 


There  ar  many  families  in  which 
such  a  book  wil  serv  a  double  pur- 
pose."   [Nation,  1881.  3740 

ABDALLAH  [by  E:  Rene  Lefebre 
Laboulaye:  Scribner,  1870]  "  is  an 
allegorical  romance,  full  of  thot, 
fancy  and  feeling.  It  may  be  vued 
as  an  admirable  work  of  art,  inter- 
esting to  readers  of  all  ages;  too 
imaginativ  to  be  considered  as  a  ser- 
mon in  disguise,  but  particularly 
adapted  to  enlist  the  sympathies  of 
youth  on  the  side  of  right,  and  to 
inculcate  lessous  which  penetrate 
the  more  deeply  by  being  received 
unconsciously  throu  the  medium  of 
fantastic  and  graceful  fiction.  The 
scene  is  laid  amid  the  misty  gran- 
deur of  the  East,  which  is  associ- 
ated in  the  mind  of  the  young  with 
gorgeous  spectacles  and  incidents, 
both  natural  and  supernatural.  The 
narrativ  is  exceedingly  interesting, 
and  exclusivly  Oriental,  and  the  au- 
thor, carefully  avoiding  all  wearisom 
digressions,  happily  contrives  to  giv. 
as  if  by  accident,  in  the  course  of 
his  story,  striking  delineations  of 
Oriental  manners,  customs  and 
characters."      [Hearth    and    Home. 

3743 

TALES  OF  THE  SIXTY  MAN- 
DARINS, [by  Ramaswami  Raju: 
Cassell,  1886.]  "  The  enthusiasm  of 
Prof.  H:  Morley,  in  his  introduc- 
tion, is  as  wel  founded  as  it  is 
sincere:  '  This  is  a  real  book  of  new 
fairy  tales.'  A  slight  examination 
of  the  rollicking  pages  shows  that 
it  is  more  than  a  collection;  it  is  a 
selection  of  the  best  gems  out  of  a 
heap  of  jewels."    [Nation.  3745 

FOLK-TALES  OF  BENGAL,  [by 
Lai  Behari  Day:  Macmillan,  1886.] 
"  Like  all  Oriental  fiction,  with  its 
astonishing  fertility  of  invention 
and  its  endless  surprises,  these  tales 
hav  an  irresistible  attraction,  and 
th§re  is  nothing  in  them — from  big- 
amy  to  burying  alive — which  need 


keep  them  out  of  hands  to  which  the 
'  Arabian  Nights '  is  allowed.  The 
grotesque  outweighs  the  bloody;  and 
neither  ar  the  few  ghosts  calculated 
to  make  children  nervous  or  sleep- 
less."   [Nation.  3750 

JAPANESE  FAIRY  WORLD  [by 
W:  B.  Griffis:  Schenectady,  Ja.  H. 
Barhyte,  ISSO]  "  fils  an  undoubted 
gap  in  child-lore,  and  needs  chiefly 
a  more  literary  finish  to  giv  it  an 
assured  place  in  our  standard  col- 
lections. The  tales  ar  wel  chosen 
in  point  of  interest,  and  their  infre- 
quent bloodiness  never  approaches 
that  of  '  Hop  o'  my  Thumb.'  The 
first  dozen  of  the  two  or  three  dozen 
ar  without  exception  readable,  and 
we  hav  set  a  mark  against  several 
which  folio—'  The  Fisherman  and 
the  Moon-Maiden,'  for  its  pretty 
sentimentality;  '  Smells  and  Jingles,' 
on  account  of  its  identity  with  a 
wel-known  Western  fable."  [Nation. 

3755 

DANISH  LEGENDS,  [by  H.  G. 
Andersen  (1805-75):  Pickering,  1846.] 
"  This  is  a  charming  little  book.  .  . 
There  is  an  occasional  Northern 
coloring,  but  only  so  far  as  it  could 
not  be  helped.  All  the  rest  is  so 
free  from  anything  national  or  ex- 
clusiv,  that  we  do  not  remember  to 
hav  met  any  production  so  given 
up  to  a  sense  of  the  variety  of  being 
that  exists  in  the  universe.  We  hav 
so  strong  a  sense  given  us  of  the 
feelings  of  dues  and  ducklings;  of 
swans  and  storks;  of  mermen  and 
mermaidens;  of  nitingales,  flowers, 
and  daisies;  even  of  slugs  and  cut- 
tle-fish; and  of  what  all  sorts  of 
animated  creatures  round  about  us. 
think,  do,  and  might  say  if  they 
could  speak;  that  one's  conscious- 
ness as  a  human  being  almost  be- 
comes lost  in  the  crowd.  The  fault 
of  the  book  is,  that  all  the  stories 
hav  too  much  meaning;  that  they 
overflo    with    intention    and    moral; 


139 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


not  always  obviously,  sometimes  ob- 
scurely, but  stil  with  iucessaut  dili- 
gence. You  desire  occasionally  some- 
thing more  childish  and  less  clever. 
But  the  genius  and  refinement  ar 
undeniable."    [Examiner.  3765 

THE  SHOES  OF  FORTUNE,  [by 
H.     C.     Andersen:     London,     1847.] 
"  We  wonder  if  this  delightful  and 
simple   Dane  ever  read   Goldsmith. 
His   '  Shoes    of   Fortune '    run   over 
the  selfsame  ground  as  that  of  Mr. 
Rigmarole     in    the     '  Boar's     Head 
Reverie  at  Eastcheap,'   and  tel   us 
as  plainly,  after  as  far  bac  a  jour- 
ney in  fifty  pages,  what  enormous 
advantages    it    is    for    all    of    us, 
whether  we  ar  great  town  council- 
lors or  simple  copying  clerks,  to  be- 
lieve in  the  steady  progress  of  the 
world,  and  be  content  with  the  at- 
tainable.   In  a  like  wise  and  tender 
vein    ar    all    the    marvels    of    this 
writer's  lover  fancy;  and  we  grieve 
that  we  must  pass  the  Sno  Queen, 
the    Elder    Bush,    Tommelise,    the 
Storks,     and    the     Rose-elf— all     of 
them  filled  with  the  most  surprising 
sympathy  for  everything  animate  or 
inanimate,     whether    in    words    of 
imagination  or  reality."    [Examiner. 

3767 

TALES,  [by  Hans  Christian  An- 
dersen: London,  I860.]  "Wherever 
there  ar  children  who  read  books, 
Andersen's  Tales  should  be 
among  the  books  they  hav  to  read. 
Nothing  can  be  of  its  kind  more 
exquisit  than  the  playfulness  of  the 
short  stories  in  which  the  taste  of 
Andersen's  peculiar  humor  is  not 
spoilt  by  admixture  with  the  senti- 
mentalism  which  finds  its  way  into 
his  longer  works,  or  even  into  such 
of  his  stories  as  the  Sandhills  of 
Jutland  or  the  Mudking's  Dauter. 
This  volume  contains  more  than  40, 
and  includes  the  whole  of  his  best 
writing.  Here  we  find  the  faithful 
Tin  Soldier,  the  Shoes  of  Fortime, 


the  Ugly  Duckling,  the  Emperor's 
New  Clothes,  the  Red  Shoes,  the 
Daisy,— all  the  tales  which  giv  to 
Andersen  fame  in  the  world  as  long 
as  children  shal  be  born  who  kno 
how  to  enjoy  a  good  child's  story 
with  the  soul  of  a  man's  wit  under 
its  playfulness."    [Examiner.      3768 

THE  FAIRY  RING  [by  Jacob 
(1785-1863)  and  W:  Grimm:  Murray, 
1S4G]  "  is  supplementary  to  '  Ger- 
man Popular  Stories.'  That  book, 
tho  published  above  20  years  ago, 
must  stil  be  fresh  in  the  minds  of 
many  of  our  readers.  The  prince 
sitting  on  the  fox's  tail,  the  waggish 
elvs  pulling  on  the  breeches  which 
the  benevolent  shoemaker  left  for 
them,  and  the  host  of  deluded 
wights  who  leaped  over  a  precipice 
to  catch  the  clouds  reflected  in  the 
water,  ar  yet  before  us,  tho  we 
hav  not  set  eyes  on  the  book  for 
a  greater  number  of  years  than  we 
now  care  to  count.  The  stories  in 
the  '  Fairy  Ring,'  coming  from  the 
same  source,  ar  also  of  the  same 
school— short,  pithy,  and  surprising. 
The  young  may  read  them  for 
amusement,  aud  the  old,  as  addi- 
tional food  for  the  reflection  that 
these  works  ar  the  relics  of  an  old 
mythology,  and  that  in  them  a  con- 
nection may  be  traced  between 
races  widely   severed."    [Examiner. 

3775 
LEGENDS  OF  NUMBER  NIP 
[by  J:  C:  A:  Musaeus  (1735-87): 
Macmillan,  1865]  "  is  pleasant  read- 
ing of  the  wholesomest,  in  a  book 
which,  while  it  pleases,  may  do 
something  to  educate  the  English 
fancy  into  a  right  sense  of  fairy 
lore.  It  is  an  incorporation  into 
English  literature  of  the  series  of 
Riiberzahl  legends  from  Musaeus, 
who,  before  the  Grimms  wer  born, 
delited  Germany  by  embodying  in 
its  literature  some  of  the  best  fairy 
lore  current  among  the  people.   .   . 


140 


FICTION:— FAIRY    STORIES. 


Mr.  Lemon  lias  entered  into  the 
spirit  of  Musseus,  and  tels  the  tales 
again  in  the  old  pleasant  vein.  .  . 
The  genial  play  of  invention  in  these 
stories  seems  to  be  very  difficult  of 
attainment  in  this  country.  It  is 
wonderful  to  think  how  few  good 
fairy  tales  hav  been  produced  in 
England.  As  a  branch  of  our  liter- 
ature they  ar  almost  unrecognized, 
and  when  they  ar  invented  for  the 
benefit  of  children  the  inventions  ar 
too  commonly  confections  of  crude, 
would-be  childishness,  with  no  fairy- 
like delicacy  of  conception,  no  swift, 
ingenious,  imaginativ  turns  to  which 
the  writer  has  for  the  time  given 
heart  and  soul,  producing  them  with 
as  good  faith  and  as  pure  enjoy- 
ment as  the  poet  feels  in  exercise 
of  his  hier,  but  not  more  spiritual 
form  of  creative  power.  Our  few 
English  attempts  at  a  fairy  tale  ar 
usually  written  with  a  visible  sense 
of  coming  down  to  some  theoretical 
point,  vulgarly  supposed  in  this 
country  to  be  '  the  capacity  of  chil- 
dren.' Every  natural  child  reads 
under  instinctiv  protest  this  make- 
believe  literature,  and  should  be 
trained  to  detest  instead  of  to  en- 
joy the  part  goody  and  part  bogy 
style  which  is  thot  moral  and  educa- 
tional by  too  many  purveyors  of  lit- 
erature for  English  nurseries."  [Ex- 
aminer. 3780 

THE  NUT  CRACKER  [by  Ernst 
Th.  W:  Hoffmann  (1776-1S22):  Cas- 
sell,  1S92]  "  is  a  fantastic  fairy  tale 
of  extraordinary  fascination  even 
for  older  people.  Dul,  indeed,  must 
be  he  who  is  not  interested  in  the 
mysterious  adventures  of  young  Mr. 
Drosselmeier  and  the  seven-headed 
son  of  Queen  Mouseyrink,  the  en- 
chanting description  of  Toyland,  the 
beautiful,  simple-hearted  devotion  of 
Marie  Stahlbaum  for  the  Nut- 
cracker,   and    the    eccentricities    of 


Godpapa  Drosselmeier  with  the 
glass   wig."    [Saturday    Review. 

SAME,    [in    "The    Serapion 

Brethren."]      London,     Bell,     1886. 

3785 
FAIRY  TALES  FROM  BREN- 
TANO  [by  K..  (Freiligrath)  Kroek-. 
er:  Scribner,  1884]  "  shos  delightful 
ease  and  freedom  in  her  selection. 
The  extravagant  invention  and  ab- 
surd surprises  of  these  stories  ar 
simply  irresistible,  while  in  the  de- 
scriptions of  nature  and  in  allegor- 
ical passages  which  old  heads  wil 
take  pleasure  in  unfolding  to  young 
ones,  th§re  is  a  peculiar  poetic 
quality  of  a  hi  order.  This  is 
visible  in  a  story  not  essentially 
original  ('  Ninny  Noddy '),  as  in 
those  which  ar."    [Nation.  3790 

THE    BLACK    AUNT    [by    

Richter.  transl.  by  C:  A.  Dana:  N. 
Y.:  Garrigue,  1848]  "is  a  collection 
of  clever  little  tales,  full  of  quaint 
simplicity,  and  plain  unmistakable 
good  sense."    [Albion.  3795 

THE  CHRISTMAS  TREE,  and 
Other  Tales,  [transl.  by  F..  (Kemble) 
Butler:  Parker,  1855.]  "  This  is  a 
story-book  of  the  best  kind  for 
young  people.  The  Germans  kno 
how  to  write  stories  which  ar  sto- 
ries, with  plenty  of  incident,  and— 
giv  them  a  little  latitude— plenty  of 
quaint  turns  of  thot  and  surprise. 
The  fault  common  to  English  sto- 
ries is  that  every  child  soon  knoes 
their  routine;  but  with  a  German 
story-teller,  he  can  not  make  quite  so 
quic  work.  And  as  the  Germans 
kno  how  to  write  good  stories,  so 
does  Mrs.  Kemble  kno  what  is  a 
good  story  when  she  sees  it.  We 
may  be  sure  that  her  perception  of 
a  striking  touch  of  poetry  or  senti- 
ment, or  of  a  dramatic  situation, 
is  not  slo."    [Examiner.  3800 

THE  FOREST  CAVE,  [by  Frank 
Hoffmann:  Faithful,  1863.]  "The 
language  here  is  so  idiomatic,  and 
floes  so  easily,  that  one  is  scarcely 


141 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


conscious  of  its  being  a  translation. 
Tlie  story  itself  is  a  charming  one 
—full  of  incident  and  adventure;  and 
the  religious  teaching  fits  in  so 
naturally,  and  yet  so  tellingly,  at 
the  proper  place  that  a  thotless  boy 
or  girl  would  at  once  be  aroused 
to  its  importance.  Herein  lies  the 
whole  art  of  conv§ying  religious  in- 
struction in  written  language.  The 
present  tale  has  our  entire  ap- 
proval."   [Reader.  3805 

OTTILIE'S  STORIES  FOR  LIT- 
TLE FOLKS  [Boston,  Button,  1865] 
"  is  a  charming  series,  comprising 
'  Frau  Luna  and  her  voyages,'  '  A 
Queen,  a  Story  for  Girls,'  and  '  Leon 
and  Zephie,  or  the  Little  Wander- 
ers,'—each  distinct  from  the  other, 
but  all  permeated  by  the  delightful 
mystic  element  so  common  to  the 
German     mind."      [Commonwealth. 

3810 

ENCHANTING  AND  EN- 

CHANTED, [by  F:  W:  Hackliinder: 
Lippincott.  1871.]  "  The  author's 
delicate  imagination  raises  these 
above  the  common  run  of  fairy  tales 
into  almost  poetical  regions.  Chil- 
dren wil  enjoy  them,  of  course,  on 
account  of  their  wonderful  plots; 
but  older  folk  may  almost  revive 
their  childish  pleasure  in  histories 
of  magic,  throu  the  author's  skill 
in  managing  the  old  machinery  of 
dwarfs  and  kobolds,  enchanted  cas- 
tles, and  princesses  of  peerless 
beauty.  'The  Elfin  Tree,'  the  first 
of  the  series,  reminds  one  of  An- 
dersen in  its  subject,  and  somewhat, 
also,  in  its  realism  and  sympathy 
with  children's  feelings.  '  The 
Dwarf's  Nest '  and  '  Castle  Silence  ' 
ar  more  interesting,  however,  with 
the  weaver  getting  his  designs  from 
the  wonderful  slips  of  cloth  left  in 
his  loom  by  the  dwarfs,  whom  he 
hears  whirring  at  it  at  night  Avhen 
the  moon  is  full;  and  with  the  si- 
lent valley,  in  which  every  one  who 


enters  it  becomes  dumb.  Hack- 
liinder attempts  an  Arabian  story, 
which  in  point  of  ingenuity  is 
worthy  of  its  models,  but  is  so  oddly 
Germanized  in  point  of  style  and 
treatment  as  to  be  quite  destructiv 
of  the  sentimental  interest  one  feels 
in  the  stories  where  he  is  nativ 
and  to  the  manner  born."    [Nation. 

3815 

FANTASTIC  STORIES,  [by  R: 
Leander,  i.  e.,  R.  Volkmann:  Rout- 
ledge,  1874.]  "The  title  is  a  wel- 
chosen  one  to  describe  a  collection 
of  tales  of  all  sorts  of  lengths  which 
ar  half  fairy  tales,  half  legend;  or 
rather,  fairy  tales  told  in  the  legen- 
dary manner,  with  a  poetic  and 
melancholy  or  a  grotesq  vein  run- 
ning throu  them.  They  ar  thoroly 
German,  and  the  lessons  they  teach 
subtle  and  transcendental  or 
quaintly  satirical.  Practical  matter- 
of-fact  little  folks  wil  find  them- 
selvs  interested  but  much  puzzled, 
like  cats  who  look  into  a  glass  and 
then  go  behind  it  to  investigate.  The 
more  finely  attuned  wil  be  strongly 
moved  as  by  poetry.  Such  writing 
is  apt  to  impress  any  kind  of  a 
child  more  than  he  knoes  at  the 
time,  and  is  likely  to  recur  to  his 
memory  in  later  life,  when  the  dates 
of  battles  and  boundaries  of  states 
hav  l^een  forgotten,  bringing  with 
it  the  same  sweetly  painful  sensa- 
tions that  stirred  his  young  heart 
when    he    first    read    it."      [Nation. 

3819 

SAME  (Dreams  by  a  French 

Fireside).  [Chapman,  1885.]  "  The 
book  grew  out  of  love  for  German 
manners  and  German  customs.  '  Now 
and  then,  when  the  sno  was  flying 
out  of  doors,  he  took  his  pen  and 
tried  to  scribble  hasty  lines.  .  .  . 
dream  figures  iipon  the  paper;  and 
the  war  mail  carried  the  light  de- 
lineations to  his  wife,  to  whom  this 
little  book  is  dedicated.'    It  is  a  re- 


142 


FICTION:— FAIRY   STORIES. 


markable  book,  now  bold  and  strik- 
ing in  thot,  now  dreamy  and  weird, 
and  always  graceful."    [Atbenseum. 

3820 

THE  WONDER  CLOCK  [by  How- 
ard Pyle:  Harper,  1887]  "  is  of  the 
goblin  and  magical  order,  and  one 
of  the  best  emulations  of  the  Ger- 
man popular  fairy  story.  It  is  not 
easy  to  dig  in  the  furros  of  these 
old  workers  in  fiction — the  simplic- 
ity and  pithiness  of  the  popular 
creation  is  hardly  attainable  by  the 
educated  literary  mind;  but  the  au- 
thor of  the  '  Wonder  Clock  '  has  so 
deeply  imbued  himself  with  the 
character  of  the  literature  collected 
by  the  Grimms  that  to  most  children 
these  stories  wil  hav  as  great  in- 
terest as  their  prototypes."    [Nation. 

3825 

SWANHILDE  [adapt,  by  Carrie 
N.  Horwitz:  Lothrop,  1889]  "is 
somewhat  in  the  vein  of  the  '  Ara- 
bian Nights.'  They  ar  full  of  inter- 
est, and  the  English  is  particularly 
good."'    [Nation.  3827 

THE  PENTAMERONE.  [by  Gi- 
ambattista  Basile:  Bogue,  1848.] 
"  This  is  a  delightful  work,  admir- 
ably translated.  The  stories  hav 
the  air  of  being  told  by  some  one 
overfloing  with  animal  spirits.  They 
hav  an  almost  Rabelaisian  over-in- 
formation with  vivacity  which  seeks 
vent  in  a  redundancy  of  quaint 
phrases.  The  materials  of  the  dif- 
ferent tales  ar,  for  the  most  part, 
our  old  friends  the  Ogres,  Cinder- 
ella, and  so  forth.  Some  of  them, 
however,  ar  curiously  modified.  In 
some  of  the  stories  we  find  the  grim 
grotesqueness  of  northern  heroes  as- 
suming a  classical  polish.  Giant 
Goldenbeard  of  Gammer  Grethel 
(the  Devil  of  the  more  plain-spoken 
Germans)  is  here  transformed  into 
Time  with  his  classical  attributes. 
'  The  three  enchanted  princes ' 
throuout,   and   various  passages   in 


some  of  the  other  stories,  ar  more 
closely  akin  to  the  '  Arabian  Nights  ' 
than  to  the  old  fairy  tales  of  the 
European  version.  Altogether  the 
collection,  even  in  English,  retains 
a  strong  impress  of  the  Mediterran- 
ean; not  only  in  the  peculiarity  of 
the  style,  but  in  the  heterogeneous 
mixture  of  Teutonic,  Classic,  and 
Oriental  forms."    [Examiner.     3830 

SPANISH  FAIRY  TALES,  [by 
"  Fernan  Caballero":  ed.  by  J:  H. 
Ingram:  Lippincott,  1881.]  "There  is 
a  great  choice  among  these  stories, 
which  hav  been  eked  out  with  two 
of  De  Trueba's.  Some  ar  mere  fa- 
bles. Obviously,  not  all  ar  peculiar 
to  the  peninsula:  '  The  Foolish  Wolf 
and  the  Shrewd  Fox '  reminds  us 
of  Uncle  Remus  (Brer  Rabbit 
smearing  Brer  Possum's  chops  with 
butter);  '  Benibaire '  recalls  a  Japa- 
nese tale  in  Prof.  Griffis'  collection; 
'  The  Three  Wishes '  and  several 
others  hav  their  counterparts  in 
Grimm.  But  much  which  was  old 
and  even  rubbishy  could  be  for- 
given for  the  pretty  morality  of 
'  Fair-Flower.'  Mr.  Ingram's  trans- 
lation is  intelligent  and  cultivated." 
[Nation.  3840 

THE  ENCHANTED  MOCCA- 
SINS, [ed.  Cornelius  Matthews: 
Putnam,  1877.]  "  It  is  ten  years,  as 
we  ar  reminded  by  the  preface, 
since  we  first  made  the  acquaintance 
of  this  and  its  companion  stories 
under  the  title  of  the  '  Indian  Fairy- 
Book.'  We  do  not  find  that  our 
then  favorable  impression  of  the  col- 
lection was  il-grounded,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  ar  glad  to  meet  again  the 
mity  Grasshopper,  the  Man-with-his- 
leg-tied-up,  the  legend  of  the  origin 
of  maize,  and  the  other  humorous 
and  poetic  creations  of  the  aborig- 
inal fancy  which  Mr.  Matthews  has 
gleaned  from  Schoolcraft  and  other 
sources.  He  has,  it  is  true,  '  re-in- 
terpreted and  developed '  them",  but 


14.3 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUXG. 


the  development  wil  trouble  nobody 
except  the  purists  in  folk-lore." 
[Nation.  3845 

FANCIFUL  TALES. 

THE  WHITE  LADY  AND  UN- 
DINE, [by  La  Motte  Fouque  (1777- 
1843)  and  C.  von  Woltmann:  Pick- 
ering, 1844.]  "  '  Undine  '  has  been 
long  familiar  to  English  readers,  and 
a  favorit  with  all  who  can  relish 
a  most  pure  and  delightful  fancy. 
This  translation  is  more  lightly  and 
prettily  executed  than  any  with 
which  we  wer  acquainted.  .  .  .  The 
'  White  Lady '  is  less  known,  but 
she  deservs  no  less  favor  than  '  Un- 
dine.' The  story  is  as  pretty  a 
piece  of  the  supernatural  as  could 
be     wel     conceived."       [Examiner. 

3850 

THE  STORY  WITHOUT  AN 
END.  [by  Ernst  Carove:  London, 
Wilson,  1834;  Boston,  Munroe,  1836; 
new  ed.,  Scribner,  1868.]  "All 
which  is  sweet,  serious,  and  solemn 
In  childhood  and  its  dawning  con- 
ceptions, finds  a  portraiture  in  this 
*  Three  Days'  History  '  of  the  wan- 
derings of  a  child  among  the  com- 
mon productions  of  nature.  He  is 
described  as  making  his  first  ac- 
quaintance with  the  most  attractiv 
and  striking  objects;  he  discourses 
with  flowers,  insects,  birds,  reptils, 
will-o'-the-wisps,  etc.,  and  hears 
from  their  own  mouths  an  account 
of  their  several  histories,  feelings, 
and  vocations.  The  language  is  ex- 
quisitly  poetical,  full  of  infantine 
simplicity  and  faery-like  extrava- 
gance." [Examiner.]—"  It  is  a  beau- 
tiful attempt  of  Genius  to  bring  bac 
the  poetical  aspect  of  Nature,  and 
to  sho  how  adapted  it  is  to  unfold 
the  soul  of  Childhood  in  all  its 
faculties.  It  reveals,  in  strong  con- 
trast, the  unuaturalness  of  those 
circumstances  whicli  ar  thrown 
round    the    opening    years    of   most 


children.  It  bids  us  go  bac  and 
ask  of  our  own  early  life  what  was 
the  story  told  to  it,  and  how  that 
story  has  probably  affected  our  sub- 
sequent experience.  It  opens  the 
door  of  thot  so  gently,  that  even 
the  effeminate  and  indolent  ar 
tempted  to  go  over  the  spiritual 
threshold."  [Amer.  Monthly  Mag.] 
— "  The  story  itself  is  a  charming 
one,  being  one  of  those  beautiful 
combinations  of  allegory  and  fancy 
which  rarely  come  to  us  but  from 
the  German;  defying  analysis,  but 
generally  describable  as  a  prose 
poem  in  honor  of  the  beauties  of 
spring  and  the  operations  of 
nature,  whose  continuation,  in  the 
translator's  words,  '  lies  in  a  wide 
and  magnificent  book,'  to  read 
which,  '  so  as  to  discover  all  its 
beautiful  meanings,  you  must  hav 
pure,  clear  eyes,  and  a  humble,  lov- 
ing heart;  otherwise  you  wil  com- 
plain, as  some  do,  that  it  is  dim 
and  puzzling;  or  as  others,  that  it 
is  dul  and  monotonous."  [Round 
Table.]—"  A  querist  has  asked  what 
writer  was  meant  by  Longfellow 
when    he    said,    many    years    ago: 

'  Spoke  lull  wel  iu  languafre  quaiut  and  olden 
One  who  dwels  beside  the  castled  Khine, 

When  he  called  the  flowers  so  blue  and  golden 
Stars  that  in  earth's  Armament  do  shine.' 

The  poet  meant  Carove,  a  German, 
whose  '  Story  without  an  End '  was 
translated  many  years  since  by  Mrs. 
Austin,  and  published  in  this  coun- 
try with  an  introduction  by  Mr.  Al- 
cott.  In  this  pretty  and  profusely 
symbolical  story  a  water-drop  has 
just  been  relating  her  personal  ex- 
periences, when  '  the  root  of  a  for- 
get-me-not caut  her  by  the  hair  and 
sucked  her  in.  that  she  might  be- 
come a  floweret,  and  twinkle '  as 
brightly  as  a  blue  star. on  the  green 
firmament  of  earth.'  "  3855 

A    TRAP    TO    CATCH    A    SUN- 
BEAM,   [by   Matilda    A..    (Planche) 


144 


FICTION:— FANCIFUL   TAI>BS. 


Mackarness:  Boston,  Munroe,  1849.] 
"  We  ar  introduced  to  old  David 
Coombe,  a  cobbler  of  twenty  years' 
standing,  but  those  years  of  labor 
hav  sufficed  only  to  provide  the  sup- 
plies of  food  and  raiment  needful 
from  day  to  day,  with  no  com- 
fortable residuum  of  '  money  laid 
up.'  David  has  become  rather  rusty 
in  manners  and  apparel,  and  down- 
hearted to  boot.  He  has  a  visit 
from  a  sisterhood  of  Sunbeams,  and 
the  effect  of  their  good  counsels  is 
to  induce  him  lo  mingle  more  with 
his  fello-creatures,  to  cultivate  his 
genial  impulses,  and  seek  out  oc- 
casions for  their  exercise.  He  ap- 
plies to  his  kind-hearted  landlady 
to  clean  his  room  for  him,  and  makes 
a  similar  application  of  soap  and 
water  to  his  person,  with  happy  ef- 
fect both  to  his  inner  and  outer  man. 
To  learn  how  much  pleasanter  his 
life  is  made  by  an  attention  to  Tts 
duties,  beyond  the  surgery  of  old 
shoes,  tho  that  is  not  neglected,  the 
pleasant  domestic  scenes  and  inci- 
dents in  which  he  consequently 
plays  his  part,  and  the  frequent 
visit  of  the  Sunbeams,  we  must  re- 
fer our  readers."     [Literary  World. 

3860 
THE  CLOUD  WITH  THE  SIL- 
VER LINING,  [by  Matilda  A.. 
(Planchg)  Mackarness:  Boston,  Mun- 
roe, 1853.]  "The  author  of  the 
series  of  little  stories  with  these 
quaint  titles  has  taste,  pathos,  and 
sympathy  with  the  poor.  In  this 
charming  little  book  we  hav  first 
the  darkness,  then  the  light 
kindling  along  its  edges;  first  the 
cloud,  then  the  silver  lining."  [Na- 
tional Era.  3861 

THE  KING  OF  THE  GOLDEN 
RIVER,  [by  J:  Ruskin  (1819—): 
Smith,  Elder,  1850.]  "This  little 
tale  is  by  a  master  hand.  The 
writer  is  profoundly  learned  in  the 
book  from   which  all  the  real  and 


true  lore  of   fairy  land   comes.    In 
his     feeling,     painting,    description, 
and  in  all  his  most  extravagant  in- 
vention, he  has  nature  at  his  side. 
The  story  has  a  moral  as  charming 
as  the  best  piece  of  enchantment  of 
the  good  Perrault,  and  the  writing 
is  so  good  that  it  would  be  hard  to 
say  which   it  wil  most  please,   the 
wise  man  or  the  simple  child."  [Ex- 
aminer. 3865 
THE  RAT  CATCHER,  [by  Gustav 
Nieritz:      Scribner,      1854.]        "The 
former  works  over  the  old  legend  of 
'  The  Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin,'  and 
comes   nearer   to  the   spirit  of   the 
original    than    any    other    version. 
Browning's  is  spirited,  but  it  is  in 
some  respects  inferior  to  this."    [Al- 
bion. 3870 
THE  PRINCESS  ILSE  [by  Marie 
Petersen:  London,  Bell,  1856]  "  is  a 
charming  and  graceful  little  legend 
of  the  rise  and  course  of  a  German 
river.    The  moral  is  excellent,  and 
enhances   instead  of  deadening  the 
interest   of    the   story.    We   do   not 
think  that  either  children  or  grown- 
up people  can  fail  to  be  pleased  with 
'  Princess  Use.'  "     [Athenaeum. 

SAME       (the       authorship 

wrongly  ascribed  to  L.  von  Ploen- 
neis).  [Boston,  Gould  &  Lincoln, 
1867.]  "We  believe  that  there  ar 
not  fewer  than  four  translations  of 
Luise  von  Ploenneis'  '  Princess  Use  ' 
now  in  our  market.  In  Germany  the 
story  has  long  been  very  popular, 
and  why  it  has  been  so  much  of  a 
favorit  it  is  easy  to  see.  It  is  not 
so  easy  to  see  why  it  should  be 
deemed  a  child's  book.  It  moralizes 
the  old  legend  of  the  Princess  Use, 
or  rather  moralizes  that  most  de- 
lightful portion  of  the  '  Pictures  of 
Travel '  in  which  Heine  deals  with 
the  famous  Harz  legend.  Frau  von 
Ploenneis  makes  out  of  it  an  alle- 
gory, graceful  and  rather  successful 
as  allegories  go,  to  the  effect  that 
pride  is  of  the  devil— the  father  of 


i4r 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUXG. 


all  lies— and  that  only  in  usefulness 
is  there  any  real  happiness.  Stil, 
her  version  of  the  story  is  poetical 
in  its  way,  pretty  enuf  in  its  details, 
fanciful  with  some  original  and  some 
borroed  fancifulness,  and  very  pleas- 
ing for  its  purity  and  kindness,  and 
the  freshness  of  its  nature  painting. 
We  hav  our  doubts  if  American  boys 
and  girls— whatever  may  be  the  case 
with  German  children— wil  not  find 
it  too  fanciful.  The  Princess  Use 
partakes  too  much,  as  far  as  her 
actions  ar  concerned,  of  the  nature 
of  the  river  Use,  and  the  river  par- 
takes too  much  of  the  character  of 
a  human  being,  for  either  to  be  any- 
thing but  a  rather  baffling  creature 
to  the  understanding  of  childhood. 
A  child  wil  gro  to  it,  however,  or 
6t  to  gro  to  it;  and  whoever  makes 
a  gift  of  the  '  Princess  Use  '  to  any 
young  friend  may  properly  feel  that 
he  has  given  him  a  pleasure  which 
wil  last,  which  wil  increase  for  a 
long  time,  and  never  wil  wholy 
fail."    [Nation.  3872 

FAIRY  FANCIES,  [by  M..  Peter- 
sen: Hurst,  1870.]  "  It  is  venture- 
some, but  we  venture  it,  to  express 
the  opinion  that  The  Wandering 
Lights  of  the  '  Fancies  '  ["  Irrlich- 
ter"]  is  a  more  beautiful  production, 
truer  to  the  inspiration  of  nature, 
and  more  likely  to  be  genuinly  at- 
tractiv  to  the  imagination  of  child- 
hood, than  the  famous  '  Story 
without  an  End,'  which  has  long 
held  undisputed  precedence  in  the 
realm  of  fancy  and  suggestion 
in  literature.  In  that  book,  whose 
beauty  we  fully  confess  and  ar- 
dently admire,  a  child's  mind 
is  made  to  do  too  much,  to  de- 
duce too  much,  to  work  harder 
than  it  could  naturally  work,  and 
yet  to  combine  with  that  the 
dreamy  attitude  of  prolonged  con- 
templation. It  is  impossiljle  but 
that  the  young  reader  must  weary 
of  it,  if  it  wer  only  of  the  surfeit 


of  sweets  and  riches.  Hily  poetical, 
it  is  monotonous;  it  holds  the  mind 
in  an  unchanged  attitude,  and 
strains  the  intellectual  vision  over 
the  minute  touches  of  the  exqui- 
sitly  finished  picture.  '  The  Wan- 
dering Lights '  is  as  beautiful,  as 
fanciful,  as  rich  in  suggestion,  but 
more  lively,  more  vivid;  and  its  les- 
sons, addressed  to  the  heart  and 
to  the  fancy,  ar  drawn  from  sources 
more  familiar  and  easy  of  recourse 
to  a  child's  mind  and  experience.  .  . 
Thenceforward  the  story  is  a  strik- 
ingly beautiful  combination  of  poet- 
ical, natural  imagery,  and  pure, 
wholesom,  household  life;  the  true 
poetry  of  human  existence  in  joy, 
sorro,  labor,  success,  failure,  sin, 
and  I'epentance,  and  wrapped  around 
it  a  transparent  veil  of  fancy,  span- 
gled with  quaint,  touching  realisms 
of  the  things  we  call  '  soulless  '— 
the  animal  and  the  vegetable  crea- 
tion, the  atmospheric  influences, 
and  the  spirits  of  the  air,  taking 
form  and  voice  in  their  sympathy 
with  human  beings  of  but  '  span- 
long  lives.'  Miss  Eden  has  per- 
fectly rendered  the  depth  and  mean- 
ing of  the  original,  and  has  enriched 
it  with  a  gracefulness  and  ease  for 
which  her  translation  of  'Princess 
Use '  is  remarkable.  A  version  of 
the  seemingly  inexhaustible  legend 
of  the  Yergissmeinnicht  with  which 
we  ar  not  familiar,  completes  the 
contents  of  this  pleasant  volume,  but 
it  is  by  no  means  worthy  of  its  close 
companionship  with  '  The  Wander- 
ing Lights  '  and  '"  Princess  Use.'  " 
[Examiner.  3873 

THE  WILL  O'  THE  WISPS 
["  Irrlichter,"  by  Marie  Petersen: 
Chapman,  1883]  "  is  translated,  a 
book  which  is  now  in  its  Slth  edi- 
tion. We  can  hardly  prophesy  such 
success  for  the  English  version,  tho 
it  is  very  wel  done;  but  the  idea 
and  treatment  ar  too  entirely  Ger- 


146 


FICTION:— FANCIFUL    TALES. 


man  and  unsuited  for  English  read- 
ers, to  whom  not  only  the  scenery 
and  manners,  but  even  the  senti- 
ments, ar  strange  and  not  altogether 
pleasing."    [Saturday  Review.    3874 

THE  WINGS  OF  COURAGE,  by 
"  G:  Sand."  See  "  List  of  French 
Novels,"  No.  2306.  C3S79 

MR.  WIND  AND  MADAM  RAIN 
[by  Paul  de  Musset  (1804-80):  transl. 
by  !Emily  Makepeace:  Low,  18G31 
"  is  an  honest  fairy  tale  of  the  right 
school,  shoing  how  a  poor  miller 
and  his  wife,  in  their  ruinous  old 
cottage  which  let  in  the  wind  and 
the  rain,  made  friends  accordingly 
with  Mr.  Wind  and  Mrs.  Rain;  how 
the  miller  livd  under  a  griping 
feudal  baron;  what  wonderful  gifts 
he  got  in  his  need  from  his  friends 
Wind  and  Rain,  and  what  came  of 
his  getting  them;  and  how  the  mil- 
ler's acute  boy  prospered  by  making 
Wind  and  Rain  his  prisoners  and 
servants.  Mrs.  Rain's  gift  was  a 
magic  puppet-sho  which  acted  12 
plays;  and  when  the  sho  was  given 
away  and  the  miller's  son  made  pup- 
pets for  himself,  and  tried  to  re- 
member one  of  the  plays,  that  of 
'  The  Chevalier  Jessamine  and  the 
Princess  Eglantine,'  that  play  in 
three  acts  for  the  puppet-sho,  as 
young  Peter  remembered  it,  is  in- 
terpolated in  the  story,  and  is,  per- 
haps, the  quaintest  and  most  com- 
ical thing  in  the  book."  [Examiner.] 
^"  It  is  an  ingenious  and  most 
amusing  fairy  tale;  shoing  how  John 
Peter,  a  miller,  received  magical 
gifts  from  Mr.  Wind  and  Madam 
Rain,  and  foolishly  abused  them  til 
his  son,  Peter,  wiser  than  his  sire, 
found  out  a  proper  use  for  them, 
and  ended  by  obtaining  letters  of 
nobility  from  the  Conqueror,  and 
marrying  a  baron's  dauter.  The 
story  is  full  of  fun— the  puppet-play 
especially— and  the  illustrations  of 
Mr.  Wind  and  Madam  Rain  ar  ad- 


mirably  grotesque."      [London    Re- 
view. 3880 

PRINCE  DARLING'S  STORY 
BOOK  [Routledge,  1880]  "has  at 
least  the  merit  of  furnishing  an  in- 
structiv  contrast  to  English  pabulum 
for  the  young.  It  consists  of  four 
translations  from  the  French,  the 
first  and  much  the  longest  being  E: 
Ourliac's  '  History  of  Prince  Coque- 
luche,'  a  satire  which  can  only  be 
appreciated  by  grown  people,  and 
wil,  we  fear,  seem  a  little  tedious 
to  children.  Dumas'  '  Honey-Stew  of 
the  Countess  Bertha  '  is  a  story  of 
ghosts  and  kobolds,  not  too  blood- 
curdling to  be  read  after  dark,  and 
partakes  of  the  quality  of  the  gen- 
eral fairy  tale  of  all  countries.  Pref- 
erence, however,  wil  be  given,  we 
believe,  to  Paul  de  Musset's  '  Gaffer 
Wind  and  Dame  Rain,'  which  has 
more  poetry  and  originality  than  all 
the  rest,  and  includes  a  little  drama 
for  a  puppet-theatre.  But  it  is, 
while  perfectly  pure,  curiously  un- 
moral, and  one  hesitates  to  declare 
whether  the  lesson  of  it  is  the  evil 
of  gossip,  or  the  duty  of  imprisoning 
one's  benefactors.  As  Wind  and 
Rain  ar  incorporeal  and  irrespon- 
sible existences,  whose  malevolence 
and  love  of  mischief  ar  as  promi- 
nent as  their  beneficence,  perhaps 
their  treatment  wil  appear  less  un- 
natural than  if  they  had  been  hu- 
man beings."    [Nation.  3881 

THE  WATER  BABIES:  a  Fairy 
Tale  for  a  Land  Baby,  [by  C: 
Kingsley:  London,  1863.]  "  Some  of 
the  wise  men  who  do  not  see  with 
the  minds  and  hearts  of  children, 
and  who  believe  that  only  Peter 
Parley  kuoes  what  wil  exactly  fit 
into  a  child's  mind,  hav  said  it  is  too 
full  of  man's  satire,  too  bewildering, 
too  deep  for  a  child's  understanding. 
But  of  one  child  lying  on  a  sic  bed, 
hovering  between  life  and  death,  to 
whom  this  tale  was  read,  tlie  simple 


147 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOfNG. 


criticism  was  that  '  It  is  like  fresli 
air.'  "    [Examiner.  3885 

DREAM  CHILDREN  [by  H.  E. 
Scudder  (1838—):  Cambridge,  Mass., 
Sever,  1864]  "  is  a  tale,  the  charm 
of  which  wil  not  pass  away  with  a 
single  reading.  This  little  work  is 
one  which  the  children  wil  not  fail 
to  delight  in,  and  which  their  elders 
may  wel  glance  over,  both  for 
amusement  and  profit.  "We  hav  few 
simple  stories  so  touching,  in  all 
the  wide  range  of  this  department 
of  our  literature,  as  the  closing  tale, 
'  The  Prince's  Visit,'  while  of  all  of 
them  it  may  be  said  that  they  wil 
cultivate  the  imagination  and  in- 
struct the  heart."    IChurch  Monthly. 

3890 
THE      PRINCESS      AND      THE 
GOBLIN.       [by       G:       MacDonald 
(1824—):    Strahan,    1871.]    "It   is   a 
graceful  story,  full  of  romance  and 
adventure,  with  a  deep  meaning  un- 
derlying the  beauty  of  the  surface, 
which  givs  it  the  life  and  mystery 
which  form  the  subtle  charm  which 
Mr.  MacDonald  weaves  into  all  his 
works,  but  especially  into  those  he 
writes  for  the  young.    Faith  in  that 
which  is  invisible,  and  the  courage 
of  that  which  we  believe,  ar  what 
he  tries  to  teach.    He  speaks  with 
a  tender,   earnest  eloquence   which 
draws  a  response  from  the  heart  of 
the  reader,  like  perfume  from  the 
flowers,  or  music  from  the  harp  un- 
der the  touch  of  a  master  minstrel. 
"We  hope  Mr.  MacDonald  wil  keep 
his  promis  and  tel  us  the   further 
history  of  the  beautiful  Princess  and 
Curdie  the  miner;  but  more  than  all, 
we  desire  to  be  told  more  about  the 
mysterious  and  lovely  lady  who  livd 
in  the  turret,  and  whose  surround- 
ings wer  as  beautiful  and  wonder- 
ful as  the  clouds  at  sunset."    [Ath- 
enajum.  3895 

ADVENTURES  OF  A  BRO"WNIE. 
[by   Dinah    Maria   (Mulock)    Craik: 


London,   1872.]    "  '  A   brownie,'    (we 
may  quote  for  the  benefit  of  grown 
readers  who  hav  forgotten  the  leg- 
ends of  their  childhood,  or  wer  not 
deeply  instructed  in  them)  '  is  a  curi- 
ous creature— a  fairy,   and  yet  not 
one  of  that  sort  of  fairies  who  fly 
about  on  gossamer  wings  and  dance 
in   the    moonlight,    and   so   on.    He 
never    dances,    and    as    to    wings, 
what  use  would  they  be  to  him  in 
a  coal-cellar?    He  is  a  sober,  stay-at- 
home  household  elf— nothing  much 
to  look  at,  even  if  you  did  see  him, 
which  you  ar  not  likely  to  do— only 
a  little   old   man,    about  a  foot  hi, 
dressed  all  in  brown,  with  a  brown 
face  and  hands,  and  a  brown  peaked 
cap,  just  the  color  of  a  brown  mouse. 
And  like  a  mouse,  he  hides  in  cor- 
ners, especially  kitchen  corners,  and 
comes   out   only   after   dark,    when 
nobody  is  about,  and  so  sometimes 
people  call  Ifim  Mr.  Nobody.'    How 
her  particular  brownie  played  harm- 
less pranks  upon  the   cook  and  in 
the  farmyard,   and   on  all   sorts  of 
people  and  in  all  sorts  of  situations, 
doing    good    folks'    work    for    them 
while  they  slept,  and  plaguing  the 
nauty    ones,    Mrs.    Craik    tels    very 
prettily  indeed.    Old  folks  may  en- 
joy   her   book    as    much    as    young 
ones."    [Examiner.  3899 

THE  LITTLE  LAME  PRINCE 
and  his  Travelling  Cloak  [by  Mrs. 
Craik:  Daldy,  1874]  "  is  a  charming 
story,  simply  and  beautifully  told 
by  one  who  has  made  a  study  of 
children,  and  who  is  full  of  tender- 
ness toards  them."  [Examiner.  3900 
NINE  LITTLE  GOSLINGS  [by 
"Susan  Coolidge":  Roberts.  1876] 
"  is  a  delightful  book  of  stories  and 
pictures.  The  first  chapter  tels  how 
Johnny,  who  is  not  a  boy,  had  a  very 
narro  escape  from  something  which 
was  not  an  accident;  the  next  and 
next,  up  to  the  ninth  and  last,  giv 
each  an  interesting  history  of  events 

148 


FICTION:— IMPOSSIBLE    STORIES. 


which  seem  as  if  they  must  hav 
happened  somewhere;  while  one  and 
all  ar  most  originally  and  pleasantly 
told  in  the  service  of  Mother  Goose's 
melodies.  We  cordially  advise  all. 
of  our  young  friends  of  from  8  to 
80  to  read  this  book."    [St.  Nicholas. 

3905 
QUEER    STORIES     FOR    BOYS 
AND    GIRLS,     [by    E:    Eggleston: 
Scribner,     1884.]    "  To     readers     of 
fairy-tales   they    wil    seem    for    the 
most  part  less  '  queer '  than  lively, 
chatty,  bright.    An  excellent  '  mor- 
ale '    combines    with    genial    humor 
and  vivacious  fancy  to  make  them 
instructiv  as  wel  as  charming.    Lit- 
tle girls  wil  pronounce  them  '  per- 
fectly lovely.'    Boys  wil   like  some 
very  much,  but  find  others  too  near 
the  nursery  level.    Many  of  the  sto- 
ries ar  very  short,  but  all  ar  pithy. 
In  general,  they  ar  best  adapted  to 
readers  of  8  to  12."    [Nation.     3910 
SUMMER     LEGENDS,     [by    Ru- 
dolph    Baumbach:     Crowell,    1888.] 
"  In  '  Summer  Legends  '   we  hav  a 
collection  of  charming  fairy  stories. 
These  tales  hav  had  a  wide  circula- 
tion in  Germany,  which  is  not  sur- 
prising,   since  they    ar    full   of  the 
aroma  of  those  forests  whore  Easter 
hares  run  about,  and  where  gnomes 
and  fairies  dwel,  visible  on  Midsum- 
mer's Day,  and  ready  to  besto  their 
favors  on  mortals  in  perplexity.  But 
it  is  not  only  the  fairy-story  lover 
at  the  bac  of  every  brain  that  wil 
be  gratified  by  the  '  Summer  Leg- 
ends';  he  who  loves  a  nineteenth- 
century    barb    for    his    magic    arro, 
wil   find  that,   too,    in  the  pungent 
satire  which  Baumbach,  as  an  ob- 
server of  to-day,  can  not  escape,  and 
as  a  poet  of  nature  can  not   help 
wrapping     in     field-flowers,     wood- 
mosses,  and  mist-wreaths.  .  .  .  The 
book,  then,  wil  charm  many  moods 
of    young    and    old,    to    whom    the 
verses  which   serv  as  a  prolog  wil 
prove  a  fitting  key  to  a  '  box  where 


sweets  compacted  lie.'  It  is  im- 
possible not  to  be  reminded  once 
more,  in  reading  these  graceful  and 
clever  stories,  as  one  has  often  been 
reminded  before  in  German  litera- 
ture and  German  art,  that  the  line 
between  the  poetic  and  the  grot- 
esque is  more  faintly  marked  than 
with  other  nations.  But  these  ar 
crumplings  in  the  rose-leaves  which 
can  not  spoil  their  fragrance,  nor 
make  us  less  debtors  to  the  hand 
which  has  gathered  them."    [Nation. 

3915 

IMPOSSIBLE    STORIES. 

ADVENTURES        OF        BARON 
MUNCHAUSEN,    [by    Rudolph    E. 
Raspe,  1785:  Cassell,  1869.]  "  They  ar 
probably  few   who,  having  arrived 
at  what  ar  said  ^o  be  years  of  dis- 
cretion,  or  at  any  rate  the  period 
when  we  '  put  away  childish  things,' 
when    the    wondrous    achievements 
of    Jack   the   Giant-Killer   and   his 
confrere     of     the     Beanstalk      ar 
fading    from   recollection,    hav   not 
derived    an    almost    equal    amuse- 
ment from  a  persual  of  the  marvel- 
ous adventures  of  that  cosmopolitan 
hero,   Baron  Munchausen.    And  ex- 
cept  a   few   who    ar   given   to   the 
quantitiv  analysis  of  literature,  not 
many  wil  care  to  ascertain  with  ac- 
curacy who  was  the  real  author  of 
these    ingenious    stories."      [Exam- 
iner. 3925 
DOCTOR    OX,    ETC.    [by    Jules 
Verne  (1828—):  Osgood,  1874.]    "  The 
scene  is  a  small  Flemish  town,  the 
inhabitants  of  which  possessed  an 
extraordinary    amount    of    phlegm. 
The  worthy  citizens  never  did  any- 
thing of  importance  without  taking 
ten   years  to  deliberate.    Their  ex- 
traordinary    sloness     and     stolidity 
extended  to  the  way  in  which  their 
amusements  wer  carried  on.    To  this 
place  came  a  certain  Dr.   Ox,  who 
offered,  at  his  own  expense,  to  liglit 
the  town  with  a  new  oxyhydric  gas 


149 


BOOKS   FOR    THE   YOUNG. 


which  he  had  discovered.  Permis- 
sion was,  after  miich  deliberation, 
granted,  and  the  doctor  began  lay- 
ing pipes.  But  the  lighting  project 
was  only  a  cloak  to  other  aims. 
The  doctor  had  a  theory  that  by  im- 
pregnating tlie  air  with  oxygen  he 
could  rouse  these  Flemings  from 
their  torpor  and  make  them  as  ex- 
citable as  Parisians.  His  calcula- 
tions wer  verified,  and  an  immense 
amount  of  fun  is  to  be  foimd  in  the 
descriptions  of  how  the  mode  of  life 
of  the  citizens  became  gradually 
changed.  Occasionally,  when  the 
doctor's  gas  was  shut  off,  they  re- 
turned to  their  original  state,  when 
the  contrast  between  their  late  ex- 
citement and  their  then  phlegmatic 
state  is  very  cleverly  described." 
[Arcadian.  3930 

ALICE'S  ADVENTURES  IN 
WONDERLAND,  [by  "Lewis  Car- 
roll" (1832—):  Macmillan,  1866.] 
"  This  book  6t  to  hav  two  columns 
to  itself,  as  the  most  wonderful, 
delicious,  and  impossible  piece  of 
nonsense  ever  written.  It  is  the 
story  of  a  little  girl  who  sees  a  rab- 
bit take  a  watch  out  of  his  waist- 
coat pocket,  and  folloes  him  down 
his  hole  into  Wonderland.  And  as 
soon  as  Alice  gets  there  she  begins 
to  eat  things  and  drink  things,  and 
to  become  alternately  a  giantess  and 
a  pigmy.  One  time  she  opens  like 
a  telescope  and  is  taken  for  a  ser- 
pent, another  time  she  is  as  small 
as  a  mouse  and  is  nearly  drowned 
in  a  pool  of  tears  of  her  own  weep- 
ing. Then  she  gets  into  the  house 
of  the  rabbit  and  groes  so  suddenly 
as  to  almost  fil  it.  The  rabbit  him- 
self and  his  Irish  gardener  ar 
knocked  over  into  a  cucumber 
frame;  a  lizard,  which  is  sent  down 
the  chimney,  is  sent  up  into  the  air 
like  a  sky  rocket  by  a  kic  from 
Alice's  foot  which  is  in  the  fireplace, 
and  then  Alice  dwindles  away  again 


until  she  can  hide  behind  a  thistle. 
After  that  she  makes  the  acquaint- 
ance of  a  baby  which  turns  into  a 
pig,  and  a  Cheshire  cat  which  melts 
into  thin  air,  leaving  his  grin  be- 
hind him;  of  a  March-hare  and  a 
hatter;  of  the  Queen  of  Hearts,  who 
plays  croquet  with  hedge-hogs  for 
balls  and  live  flamingoes  for  mal- 
lets; of  a  moc  turtle  with  the  head 
and  feet  of  a  calf,  which  dances 
a  lobster  quadrille;  and  of  a  trial 
by  jury  under  a  despotic  govern- 
ment. All  these  things  ar  illus- 
trated by  Mr.  Tenniel  as  if  he  had 
gone  down  the  rabbit  hole  with 
Alice.  They  ar  interspersed  with 
the  most  heretical  parodies  of  nurs- 
ery rimes,  such  as,— 

'  Tou  ar  old,  Father  'WiUiam,'  the  young  man 
said, 

'  And  your  hair  has  become  \  ery  white ; 
And  yet  you  incessantly  stand  on  your  head, — 

Do  you  think,  at  your  age,  it  is  right?  ' 
'  In  my  youth,'  Father  William  replied  to  his 
son, 

'  I  feared  it  might  injure  the  brain  ; 
But  now  that  I'm  perfectly  sure  I  have  none. 

Why,  I  do  it  again  and  again.' 

If  our  readers  ar  not  afraid  of  an 
overdose  of  lafter  injuring  the  brain, 
we  strongly  recommend  to  them  'Al- 
ice's Adventures.'  The  more  we  look 
at  the  book  the  more  firmly  we  ar 
convinced  that  it  has  a  much  longer 
lease  of  life  before  it  than  any  of  its 
competitors,  and  that  the  humor, 
both  refined  and  broad,  of  text  and 
pictures,  wil  survive  in  the  memory 
of  the  rising  generation  til  it  has 
become  the  declining  generation." 
[London  Review.]—"  There  is  no  plot 
to  speak  of,  the  jest  lying  in  the 
incessant  opposition  of  unexpected 
ideas,  throu  a  long  train  of  delight- 
fully whimsical  fancies  which  ad- 
mit only  the  faintest  suggestion  of 
reality.  It  is  a  child's  dream  of 
wonders,  and  drifts  like  a  dream 
throu  nearly  200  pages  of  some  of 
the  best  nonsense  ever  written  for 
children.  Almost  every  line  wil 
tickle  a  child's  imagination,  and  al- 


150 


FICTION:— IMrOSSIBLE    STORIES. 


most  every  page  contains  something 
whicli  may  stir  a  clever  and  liglit- 
hearted  man  to  Ififter.  The  w^ant  of 
construction  is  a  little  felt  toards 
the  end,  if  one  reads  the  book,  as 
we  could  not  help  doing,  strait  throu 
at  a  sitting.  But  it  is  all  so  clever, 
and  so  deliciously  purposless,  so 
happy  an  example  of  the  effect  pro- 
duced by  incessant  surprise  of 
whimsical  and  unexpected  incidents 
or  turns  of  dialog,  that  the  only 
thing  not  wonderful  is  the  an- 
nouncement on  the  title  page  that 
it  is  now  in  its  '  fifth  thousand.'  " 
[Examiner.  3935 

DAVY  AND  THE  GOBLIN,  [by 
C:  E.  Carryl:  Ticknor,  18S5.]  "For 
a  frank  imitation  of  '  Alice  in  Won- 
derland '  this  book  is  undeniably 
clever.  .  .  The  humor  and  the  in- 
genuity ar  unflagging,  and  one  only 
feels  that  the  metamorphoses  ar 
rather  too  rapid."    [Nation.  3937 

LULU'S  LIBRARY,  [by  L.  M. 
Alcott:  London:  Low,  1886.]  "  Miss 
Alcott  has  made  her  specialty  of 
those  years  in  a  girl's  life  which 
come  between  the  time  of  the  doll 
and  the  time  of  the  lover.  She  has 
written  of  all  the  phases  of  youth — 
of  bridals  and  of  schools  and  of 
'  little  men  '  and  of  young  mothers. 
But  her  own  subject  is  the  girl 
proper.  Here,  however,  she  writes 
of  little  children  for  little  children, 
and  does  it  charmingly.  Best,  per- 
haps, of  the  stories  is  that  which 
tels  of  Lily's  journey  into  Candy 
Country,  Cake  Land,  and  Bread 
Land.  Excursionists  of  this  kind 
hav  foUoed  now  for  some  twenty 
years  the  footsteps  of  Alice  into 
Wonderland;  but  Miss  Alcott  shos 
a  fresh  inventiveness,  and  takes  her 


little  readers  so  realistically  throu 
the  sticky  and  indigestible  countries 
of  sweets  and  cakes  that  they  wil 
enjoy  the  plain  loaf  at  the  end  in 
perfect  sympathy  with  the  heroin. 
Names  of  good  things  ar  generally 
international  euuf  for  English  read- 
ers, tho  some  of  the  candies  and 
'  cookies  '  may  need  translation,  and 
there  is  more  maize  meal  in  the 
wholesom  country  diet  than  our  lit- 
tle ones  ar  accustomed  to."  [Sat. 
Review.  3940 

CHRISTMAS  EVERY  DAY.  [by 
W.  D.  Howells:  Harper,  New  York, 
1892.]  "  There  is  rare  fun  and 
freshness  in  Mr.  Howells'  illustrated 
volume.  It  is  redolent,  indeed,  of 
all  these,  especially  of  November 
sweets,  when  turkey  and  cranberry- 
sauce  crown  the  board  and  pumpkin 
pies  smile  saucily  from  its  end.  Mr. 
Howells  shows  in  these  tales  an  un- 
expected tenderness  lurking  in  a 
corner  of  his  capacious  heart — a  ten- 
derness for  children  under  a  veil  of 
humor  that  is  particularly  attractiv, 
and  also  a  grotesque  yet  merry  fancy 
which  cannot  fail  to  delight  them. 
AVhat  a  delightful  world  is  the  child- 
world  and  how  few  there  be  that 
enter  it!  We  prayerfully  hope  Mr. 
Howells  wil  return  to  his  '  second 
childhood '  and  talk  '  baby  '  and 
Christmas  and  fairy-tale  for  many 
an  ensuing  season.  His  touch  is  so 
light,  so  playful,  so  understanding, 
that  it  is  a  shame  not  to  tickle  child- 
hood with  it  as  this  book  does:  the 
art  of  being  '  grand-pere  '  is  as 
rare  as  the  true  moonstone.  We 
won't  spoil  the  feast  by  describing 
the  bill-of-fare;  but  happy  infant  or 
infanta  who  gets  '  Christmas  Every 
Day  '  like  this."    [Critic.  3950 


AMERICAN  STORIES. 
EIGHT   COUSINS,   by   L.   M.   Al-         LITTLE   MEN,   by   L.    M.   Alcott. 
cott.    See    "  Novels   of   Amer.    City      See     "  Novels     of     Amer.     Country 
Life,"  No.  239.  C4017     Life,"  No.  73h.  C4019 

151 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


LITTLE  WOMEN,  [by  Louisa  M. 
Alcott:  Roberts,  1869;  new  ed.,  large 
type.  1892.]  "  These  dear  '  Little 
Women.'  Meg.  Jo.  Beth,  and  Amy, 
ar  already  bosom  friends  to  hun- 
dreds of  other  little  women,  who 
find  in  their  experiences  the  very 
mirror  of  their  own  lives.  In  Part 
First  we  find  them  four  natural, 
sweet  girls,  with  well-defined  char- 
acters, which,  in  Part  Second,  ar 
developed  to  womanhood  throu  such 
truthful  and  lifelike  scenes  as  prove 
Miss  Alcott  to  be  a  faithful  student 
of  nature.  It  isn't  '  a,  la  mode  '  now 
to  be  moved  over  stories,  but  we 
pity  the  reader  who  can  repress  a 
few  tears  as  wel  as  many  hearty 
lafs  over  the  lives  of  these  little 
women."    [Galaxy.  4020 

AN  OLD-FASHIONED  GIRL,  by 
L.  M.  Alcott.  See  "  Novels  of 
Amer.  City  Life,"  No.  327.  C4022 
UNDER  THE  LILACS,  [by  Louisa 
M.  Alcott:  Roberts,— Low,  1878.] 
"  Altho  the  author's  name  is  not  by 
any  means  unknown,  and  her  pre- 
vious books  justified  us  in  expecting 
something  better  than  the  common 
run  of  children's  stories,  we  wer 
hardly  prepared  for  so  fresh  and 
delightful  a  tale  as  this.  The  scene 
is,  of  course.  North  America;  but 
altho  English  children  may  be  puz- 
zled by  a  few  Yankee  expressions, 
and  by  allusions  to  fruit,  flowers 
and  insects  they  hav  never  heard 
of,  there  is  nothing  in  the  book  at 
all  repulsiv  to  our  ideas,  and  the 
events  related  could  just  as  wel  hav 
happened  in  a  quiet  town  in  Eng- 
land to  a  woman  of  moderate  means, 
who,  with  her  two  little  dauters, 
has  charge  of  a  large  empty  house, 
comes  a  poor  little  starving  boy  who 
has  escaped  from  a  circus,  where 
he  was  il-treated.  The  little  acro- 
bat is  fed,  clothed,  and  made  much 
of;  the  tries  he  and  his  dog  perform 
win   for   him   the   applause   of   the 


children,  and  his  bright  and  quie 
M'ays  make  him  a  valuable  acquisi- 
tion to  the  young  lady,  who,  with 
her  invalid  brother,  come  to  occupy 
the  house.  He  is  occasionally 
tempted  to  return  to  a  roaming  life; 
but  the  report  of  the  death  of  his 
father  sobers  him,  and  his  aim  is 
thenceforth  to  be  '  respectable.'  The 
loss  of  his  poodle,  Sancho,  when  the 
hero  is  tempted  to  visit  a  traveling 
circus,  forms  one  of  the  principal 
episodes  in  the  book,  and,  when  he 
is  at  last  found  again,  but  dyed 
blac,  and  shorn  of  his  beautiful 
tail,  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
holding  in  his  paw  (we  had  almost 
Avritten  hand)  whilst  waltzing,  the 
joy  of  all  the  little  and  big  people 
in  the  book  is  fully  shared  by  the 
reader.  After  this  episode  Ben's 
progress  in  the  paths  of  respecta- 
bility, which,  in  Miss  Alcott's  hands, 
never  means  dulness,  is  as  rapid  as 
it  is  constant;  and  when  his  father 
returns  safe  and  sound  to  settle 
down  as  an  ostler  in  the  town,  his 
happiness  is  complete.  This  de- 
lightful book  ends,  as  all  books 
should,  with  a  double  marriage  '  un- 
der the  lilacs.'  "    [Examiner.      4025 

THE  STORY  OF  A  BAD  BOY, 
by  T:  B.  Aldrich.  See  "Novels  of 
Amer.  Country  Life,"  No.  145.  C4030 

TRY  AND  TRUST  [by  Horatio 
Alger:  Boston,  Loring.  1873]  "  is  a 
book  for  boys  by  a  capital  writer. 
It  is  the  story  of  an  orphan  boy  who 
had  been  wel  trained,  and  fairly 
educated,  but  who  on  the  death  of 
his  mother  was  left  without  means. 
His  uncle  in  a  distant  city,  influ- 
encd  by  the  pride  of  his  family, 
failed  to  assist  him.  He  was  then 
obliged  to  take  a  situation  as  bound- 
boy  by  the  selectmen.  His  upright 
conduct  and  fearlessness  carry  him 
safely  thro  many  perils.  The  mas- 
ter to  whom   he   is   bound   is   very 


152 


FICTION:— AMERICAN   LIFE. 


cruel,  but  his  unreasonable  treat- 
ment serves  to  slio  the  heroism  of 
the  boy,  who  bravely  carries  out  the 
last  advice  of  his  loved  mother,  to 
'  try  and  trust.'  After  leaving  his 
inhuman  master  he  meets  with 
many  adventures,  and  finally—.  But 
you  must  read  the  book  for  your- 
selvs,  young  friends.  Its  fresh  in- 
cidents wil  delight  you  and  you'll 
take  in  good  lessons  without  knoing 
it."    [St.  Nicholas.  4035 

THE  RED  MOUNTAIN  OF 
ALASKA,    [by   Willis    Boyd   Allen: 

Estes,  1889.]  "  For  those  boys  who 
like  their  adventures  without  any 
spice  of  probability,  without  any 
real  thread  of  interest  in  the  plot, 
without  a  good  English  literary 
style,  without  any  genuin  local 
color  belonging  to  the  region  de- 
picted, or  any  common  sense  among 
the  dramatis  personae,  and  stuffed 
with  inverted  chronology  and  an- 
achronisms like  a  pudding  with  suet 
and  plums,  this  is  just  the  sort  of 
book  which  they  wil  like."    [Nation. 

4045 

REAL  BOYS  ASD  GIRLS  [by  M.. 
C.  Bartlett:  Boston,  Lockwood,  1882] 
"  is  a  little  book  in  which  a  family 
of  vigorous  children  is  portrayed  in 
some  of  the  adventures  of  young 
life.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  live- 
liness in  the  book,  and  honest  fun, 
and  childish  nonsense;  there  is 
something  too  of  pure  home  feeling. 
Like  many  of  its  class,  it  is  really 
more  entertaining  to  those  who  hav 
children  tlian  to  those  who  hav  par- 
ents."   [Atlantic.  4055 

GRANDPA'S  HOUSE  [by  H.. 
Campbell,  formerly  H..  Campbell 
(Stuart)  Weeks:  Hurd,  1SG8]  "is 
full  of  life  yet  never  boisterous;  ten- 
der in  sentiment  but  never  feeble; 
natural  without  being  hard,  and 
pleasantly  salted  with  humor  and 
merriment.  We  can  not  recall  any 
writer   for   the    young    amongst   us 


who  has  such  a  store  of  incident, 
and  so  clear  insight  into  the  char- 
acteristic human  nature  of  children. 
She  writes  as  one  who  has  been 
among  them  without  their  knoing  it; 
who  has  not  observd  for  the  pur- 
pos  of  writing,  but  has  written  be- 
cause she  observd;  she  sends  forth 
one  charming  scene  after  another, 
without  any  evident  attempt  at 
dressing  them  for  sho,  and  lets  her 
incidents  go  as  if  she  had  no  need 
to  economize,  but  could  draw  from 
an  unfailing  source.  This  book  is 
of  New  England  country  life,  and 
there  is  a  freshness  of  tone  and  a 
quiet  force  about  it  which  come 
strait   from   the   hils."      [Riverside. 

4065 

SIX  SINNERS  [by  "Campbell 
Wheaton,"  i.  e.,  H..  Campbell:  Put- 
nam, 1877]  "  is  a  natural,  amusing, 
breezy  little  story,  healthful  in  sen- 
timent, and  having  in  itself  its  own 
excuse  for  being.  Dora  Maynard, 
its  heroin,  a  buoyant  little  soul 
with  the  concomitant  of  a  fine 
physique,  seems  to  gravitate  natur- 
ally toward  mischief,  becoming  in- 
volved in  endless  ditficulties,  such 
as  torn  frocs  and  pinafores,  no  less 
than  troublesom  bruises  and  hair- 
breadth 'scapes.  The  first  chapter 
givs  two  very  amusing  episodes 
which  wil  make  the  '  grown-ups ' 
laf  as  heartily  as  the  ten-year 
olds  for  whom  the  book  is  written, 
tho  they  bring  considerable  disgrace 
upon  the  little  madcap  concerned 
in  them,  and  lead  very  naturally  to 
the  '  denouement '  of  school.  But 
this  sonsie  little  wildtlower  is  not 
to  be  immured  in  a  hothouse.  She 
is  sent  to  a  school,  which,  tho  by  no 
means  ideal,  is  under  the  rule  of  a 
practical,  clear-sighted  New  Eng- 
land woman;  here  Dora  learns  hab- 
its of  perseverance  and  patience, 
and  here  she  meets  with  a  trial 
which  calls,  up  all  her  fortitude  and 


153 


BOOKS   FOR    THE   YOrNG. 


endurance,  bringing  out  traits  in  tlie 
little  girl's  character  that  might 
otherwise  liav  lain  dormant  until 
womanhood."  [Library  Table.  4067 
A  ROUND  DOZEN,  [by  "Susan 
Coolidge,"  i.  e.,  S..  Chauncey  Wool- 
sey:  Roberts,  1883.]  "To  say  they 
ar  hers  is  to  declare  them  fresh, 
bright,  kindly,  refined,  and  abound- 
ing in  common  sense  as  wel  as 
pleasant  fancy.  There  is  ample 
variety  of  suT\iect  in  the  volume  be- 
fore us,  and  both  boys  and  girls  wil 
be  wel  pleased."    [Nation.  4075 

NOT  QUITE  EIGHTEEN,  [by 
"Susan  Coolidge":  Roberts,  1894.] 
"  In  this  odly  named  book  it  is  the 
every-day  duties  and  homely  virtues 
of  whicii  the  young  reader  is  re- 
minded; and  so  pleasantly  and  nat- 
urally withal,  that  the  most  wary 
avoider  of  morals  wil  not  be  inclined 
to  revolt."    [Nation.  4077 

RAYMOND  KERSHAW,  [by  Ma- 
ria Mcintosh  Cox:  Roberts,  1888.] 
"  Good  lessons  of  family  affection, 
and  of  self-denial,  of  courage  and 
of  enterprise,  ar  taut.  It  is  the  nar- 
rativ  of  a  struggle  with  limited 
means  by  a  family  suddenly  bereft 
of  their  supporter.  It  is  very  wel 
told  and  in  a  sweet  spirit,  the  charm 
of  which  wil,  perhaps,  be  as  much 
hltened  to  some  readers  as  marred 
to  others  by  the  Anglican  coloring." 
[Nation.  4085 

WILLIAM  HENRY  AND  HIS 
FRIENDS,  [by  Abby  (Morton)  Diaz: 
Osgood,  1871.]  "The  author  de- 
scribes with  faithful  accuracy  a 
specimen  family  of  a  very  large  and 
worthy  class  of  New  England  coun- 
try people— the  class  which  is  often 
referred  to  as  '  the  bone  and  sinew 
of  our  country.'  The  Carver  family 
represents  a  substantial,  honest,  hi- 
principled  country-folk,  and  the  ac- 
count of  them  and  their  doings  at 
Summer-sweeting  Place  must  un- 
doubtedly   giv   a   keen   pleasure   to 


the  large  number  of  readers  who 
can  understand  and  sympathize  with 
every  word  of  the  book.  All  the 
homely  virtues  ar  either  cheerfully 
taut,  or  pleasantly  implied,  and  one 
receives  the  impression  of  health 
and  good-heartedness  which  the  au- 
thor undoubtedly  wished  to  make." 
[Nation.  4095 

DONALD  AND  DOROTHY,  [by 
M..  (Mapes)  Dodge:  Roberts.  1883.] 
"  Never  wer  there  a  more  charming 
brother  and  sister,  and  it  is  need- 
less to  say  to  any  one  acquainted 
with  the  author's  pen  that  she  has 
made  the  narrativ  of  their  home- 
life  and  country  pleasures  brimful 
of  vivacity  and  cheerfulness."  [Na- 
tion. 4105 

THE  HOOSIER  SCHOOLBOY, 
[by  E:  Eggleston:  Scribner,  1883.] 
"  It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  more 
vigorous  or  wel-told  story  of  school- 
boy life.  The  whole  book  is  instinct 
with  manliness  and  right  feeling. 
Jack,  the  hero,  is  a  brave,  intelligent, 
and  resolute  lad  whose  vmfolding 
character  reveals  all  the  germs  of  a 
noble  manhood.  With  no  love  of 
fifing,  he  fights  pluckily  when  oc- 
casion calls,  yet  never  fails  to  esti- 
mate rightly  the  finer  quality  of 
moral  courage.  Perhaps  he  shos  too 
mature  decision  for  his  years,  but 
that  one  error  may  be  forgiven  to 
the  idealism  of  the  author.  The  in- 
cidents of  the  story  ar  admirably 
varied,  and  all  full  of  interest.  In 
short,  the  book  is  an  eminently  de- 
lightful one."    [Nation.  4120 

THINE,  NOT  MINE,  a  Sequel  to 
Changing  Base,  [by  W:  Everett: 
Roberts,  1891.]  "  A  capital  book  for 
boys  and  girls;  capital  because  its 
manly  lesson  of  unselfishness  is  pre- 
sented frankly,  but  not  priggishly, 
and  because  the  type  of  family  life 
set  forth  is  sterling  New  England. 
The  author  constantly  interjects  also 
telling  little  shots  at  the  weaknesses 


154 


FICTION:— AMERICAN   LIFE. 


of  boys  and  ffirls.  which  wil  he  felt 
by  them  and  appreciated  by  their 
elders."    [Atlantic.  4130 

TOM  HARDING  AND  HIS 
FRIENDS,  [by  Nellie  (Blessing) 
Byster:  Phil'a,  Ashmead,  18G9.] 
"  This  is  by  the  author  of  '  Chinca- 
pin  Charlie,'  a  merry,  mipretending 
little  book  for  young  people  which 
we  remember  to  hav  read  and  liked. 
'  Tom  Harding '  has  the  same  good 
quaUties.  There  is  no  pretense  or 
nonsense  in  it;  there  is  a  very  good 
understanding  of  the  nature  and 
habits  of  boys;  and  if  there  is,  per- 
haps, a  little  more  '  vital  religion  ' 
than  it  is  very  wel  to  giv  boys  in 
the  books  which  after  all  do  their 
best  when  they  abstain  from  point- 
blank  inculcation  of  truths,  stil,  hers 
is  neither  a  Pharisaical  nor  a  mawk- 
ish religiosity,  but  is  unaffected  and 
honest,  and  wil  at  least  not  repel 
the  young  men  to  whom  it  is  of- 
fered. And  Miss  Eyster,  with  her 
frankness,  and  heartiness,  and  lik- 
ing for  boyish  fun  and  activity,  digs 
about  the  roots  of  all  those  good 
plants  in  the  human  nature  for  her 
readers,  and  wil  do  them  ten  times 
or  a  thousand  times  the  benefit 
which  she  could  do  by  preaching. 
She  makes  boys  acquainted  with 
real  boys,  who  ar  not  perfect  in- 
deed, but  who  ar  actually  existent, 
and  in  many  ways  admirable." 
[Nation.  4140 

MARJORIE  AND  HER  PAPA. 
[by  Ro.  Howe  Fletcher:  Century  Co., 
1892.]  "  A  piece  of  pleasantrywhich 
has  the  uncommon  uegativ  excel- 
lence of  not  attempting  too  much. 
It  is  a  genuin  bit  of  playfulness 
between  a  father  and  his  child,  full 
of  sweet  naturalness  and  the  kind 
of  condescension  which  is  delightful 
because  it  is  the  grave  adaptation 
of  six  feet  to  tTiree  feet.  The  book 
ot  to  be  a  nursery  favorit,  since  the 
reader  wil  get  his  or  her  pleasure 


while  the  listener  gets  a  like  pleas- 
ure." [Atlantic.  4150 
NELLIE'S  SILVER  MINE  [by 
"  H.  H.,"  i.  e..  H..  (F.)  (H.)  Jackson: 
Roberts,  1878]  "  rehearses  the  his- 
tory of  twins  of  twelve,  a  boy  and 
a  girl,  the  children  of  a  clergyman 
whose  il-health  makes  a  milder  cli- 
mate necessary;  the  bleak  winds  of 
the  New  England  coast  ar  ex- 
changed for  the  mildness  of  the 
south  of  Colorado,  and  the  exper- 
iences of  Nelly  and  her  brother  ar 
very  pleasantly  and  smoothly  told. 
Little  Nelly,  whose  lovableness  is 
sure  to  win  its  way  wherever  she 
may  go,  makes  many  queer  fi'iends 
in  this  new  country  and  in  the  dark 
days  which  come  to  her  parents 
proves  herself  to  be  a  very  brave 
little  woman.  There  is  a  healthy 
stir  in  all  the  chapters,  and  an  at- 
mosphere of  familiarity  with  the 
scenes   described."    [Library   Table. 

4160 

THE  FETERKIN  PAPERS,  [by 
Lucretia  Perkins  Hale:  Osgood, 
1880.]  "  What  it  is  that  makes 
these  papers  so  very  funny,  it  would 
not  be  easy  to  say,  but  funny  they 
indubitably  ar.  We  suspect  a  great 
part  of  the  secret  lies  in  the  solemn 
and  utterly  matter-of-fact  attitude 
of  the  author  toard  her  characters. 
She  is  never  caut  exchanging  looks 
of  sympathy  with  the  audience,  but 
is  gravely  considerate  and  sympa- 
thetic toard  the  absurdities  of  the 
remarkably  moral,  wel-meaning,  ri- 
diculous Peterkins."  [Boston  "  Lit. 
World."  4170 

EEC'S  BEDTIME,  [by  S..  Cath. 
(Fraley)  Hallowell:  Porter,  1874.] 
"  The  tone  of  the  writer  makes  it- 
self felt,  as  does  the  atmosphere  of 
some  Quaker  houses,  where  a 
stranger  is  affected  by  the  purity 
and  peacefulness,  the  innocence  and 
cheerfulness,  without  any  one  of 
those   virtues    being    mentioned   by 


155 


BOOK'S    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


the  inmates— an  atmosphere  which 
is  the  result  of  the  habits  of  genera- 
tions, and  not  to  be  at  once  ac- 
quired by  admirers  of  it.  Another 
merit  of  the  book,  and  one  which 
may  have  a  natural  relation  to  that 
just  commented  on,  is  the  thoi'o 
rhiladelphia  flavor  it  preserves 
throughout.  Now.  Boston  is  just  as 
good  as  Philadelphia,  and  New  Eng- 
land is  full  of  excellent  and  worthy 
states  not  inferior  to  Pennsylvania; 
but  New  England  and  Boston  hav 
given  us  a  great  many  stories.  That 
'  section '  has  been  endlessly  and 
profusely  and  minutely  admired  by 
its  sons  and  daughters.  We  hav 
had  '  parin'  bees,'  '  huskin's,'  and 
evening  singing-schools,  and  pork 
and  beans,  and  squashes  and  do- 
ntits,  and  Mayflower  relics  and 
Puritan  manners  and  Yankee  dia- 
lect servd  so  often— and  it  6t  to 
be  said  so  wel— that  most  of  us 
hav  come  to  accept  them  as  the 
chief  national  characteristics,  and 
the  more  docile  of  those  born  out 
of  New  England  probably  fancy  by 
this  time  that  such  things  really 
wer  familiar  to  them  in  some  stage 
of  their  existence,  or,  if  tliey  wer 
not,  they  Ot  to  hav  been."    [Nation. 

4180 

NAN,  the  New-Fashioned  Girl, 
[by  S..  C.  (F.)  Hallowell:  Lothrop, 
1877.]  "  From  the  title  one  might 
infer  a  satire  on  the  '  girl  of  the 
period,'  and  this  misconception  is 
confirmed  on  first  acquaintance  with 
the  heroin.  The  careless,  castle- 
building,  slightly  selfish  miss  of  16, 
depicted  in  the  first  chapter,  seems 
doomed  to  mortification  if  not  to 
misery,  while  her  sister  Hetty  ex- 
hibits what  we  ar  prepared  to  re- 
gard as  old-fashioned  devotion, 
thatfulncss,  and  energy.  By-and-by, 
however.  Nan,  who  aspires  to  be  an 
artist,  and  has  by  hard  sewing 
earned  the  privilege  of  instruction, 


suddenly  chops  her  easel  into  kind- 
ling-wood, breaks  off  her  lessons. 
and  learns  telegraphing  from  the 
artist's  son  in  order  more  speedily 
to  contribute  to  her  suppoil  and 
that  of  the  family,  which  has  been 
reduced  by  the  father's  loss  of 
health  and  eyesight.  The  end  of 
the  story  is  reached  when  she  takes 
the  place  of  an  operator  of  her  sex, 
who  makes  a  timely  vacancy  by 
getting  married.  This,  as  it  hap- 
pens, is  the  only  marriage  in  the 
book.  There  ar  several  lines  lead- 
ing to  betrothals  and  weddings,  but 
the  rehabilitation  of  Nan  in  the 
reader's  esteem  seems  more  impor- 
tant; and  if  part  of  this  young  lady's 
reward  for  sacrificing  the  long  run 
to  the  present  is  to  be  getting  a  hus- 
band, it  wil  require  another  volume 
to  sho  us  how  it  is  done.  The  pres- 
ent history  is  more  cheerful  than 
may  appear  from  our  sketch  of  it, 
thanks  to  episodes  in  which  fairs 
and  candy-scrapes  ar  made  use  of 
to  introduce  a  little  local  color — local 
to  Philadelphia  under  a  thin 
disguise."    [Nation.  4181 

TWO  COMPTON  BOYS,  by  A: 
Hoppin.  See  "  Novels  of  Amer. 
Country  Life,"  No.  162.  C41S5 

DONALD'S  SCHOOL-DAYS  [by 
Oliver  Otis  Howard:  Lee,  1878]  "be- 
ing principally  a  story  of  school-life 
and  home  influences,  with  a  quaint, 
old-fashioned  flavor,  which  lends  it 
a  peculiar  charm.  No  mother  who 
reads  it  aloud  (and  what  mother 
does  not  find  herself,  with  book  in 
hand,  the  centre  of  an  eager  little 
audience  on  Christmas-day),  wil  es- 
cape the  impression  that  some  of 
the  author's  boyish  reminiscences 
[he  was  born  in  Leeds,  Maine]  hav 
crept  in  among  the  pages.  The  book 
has  none  of  the  feverishness  of  the 
now  popular  child's  literature,  but, 
instead,  it  possesses  a  quiet,  restful 
and  yet  withal  inspiring  influence, 


156 


FICTION:— AMERICAN    LIFE. 


which  deservs— so  seUloiii  do  we 
find  it— a  hearty  word  of  commeuda- 
tiou."    [Library  Table.  4190 

THE  CHILDREN  OF  OLD 
PARK'S      TAVERN,      by      F..      A. 

Huinplirey.  See  "  Novels  of  Amer. 
City  Life,"  No.  211.  C4192 

SCOTCH  CAPS  [by  "  .Tak,"  i.  e.. 
Annie  Bowles  Williams:  Crowell  tfe 
Co.,  1888]  "  is  a  wholesom.  manly 
story.  The  savageness  which  boys 
display  toard  each  other  at  school, 
in  rnf  and  heartless  tries,  is  here 
developed  into  thrilling  incident.  It 
has,  however,  the  tnffening  effect 
which  these  conflicts  ar  supposed  to 
produce  in  the  formation  of  char- 
acter, and  in  the  end  the  '  Scotch 
Caps,'  a  society  formed  by  two  lads 
who  ar  at  first  beset  and  boycotted 
by  the  whole  school,  come  off  tri- 
umphant."   [Critic.  4195 

ROLF  AND  HIS  FRIENDS,  [by 
"  Jak,"  i.  e..  Annie  Bowles  Williams: 
Crowell,  1SS9.]  ".The  hero  is  not 
a  perfect  boy,  not  a  scholar,  but  a 
warm-hearted,  unselfish  little  fello, 
to  whom  we  become  much  more 
strongly  attached  than  if  he  had 
been  a  prodigy  of  good  sense  and 
huirning.  The  astronomical  chap- 
ters contain  much  information  about 
the  sun  and  moon,  tho  most  boys 
would  much  prefer  to  learn  about 
them  as  Rolf  did  than  in  the  prosaic 
way  of  reading.  The  story  is  one  of 
quiet  but  sustained  interest,  culmi- 
nating in  a  very  wel  described  inci- 
dent."   [Nation.  4200 

PLAY  DAYS,  a  Book  of  Stories 
for  Children  [by  S..  O.  Jewett: 
Houghton,  Osgood  &  Co.,  1878] 
"  contains  brief  and  pleasantly-told 
stories  without  invention  and  with 
staring  morals.  Dols,  kittens,  play- 
houses, the  histories  of  buttons,  Cru- 
soeing  on  a  small  scale,  and  like 
maimers  ar  the  subjects."    [Nation. 

4210 


BETTY  LP:ICESTER  [by  S..  Orne 
Jewett:  Houghton,  1890]  "  is  a  little 
book  that  may  promis  itself  a  very 
grGat  success.  We  would  say  that 
it  is  the  best  story  of  its  kind,  if 
there  wer  a  cla^  of  story  shoing 
anything  like  the  same  freshness 
and    charm    of    touch."      [Atlantic. 

4215 

PHAETON  ROGERS  [by  Rossiter 
■Johnson:  Scribner,  1881]  "  is  a  capi- 
tal story  in  some  ways,  and  the  de- 
scription of  the  amateur  printing 
office,  the  doings  with  the  balloon, 
and  Phaeton's  various  inventions, 
wil  be  voted  vastly  entertaining. 
The  chapter  '  How  a  Church  Flew 
a  Kite,'  is  likely  to  tide  the  aver- 
age boy  to  that  extent  that  he  wil 
remember  it  as  long  as  he  livs." 
[American.  4225 

THE  END  OF  A  RAINBOW  [by 
Rossiter  Johnson:  Scribner,  1892] 
"  is  an  ingenious,  but  at  times  over- 
fanciful,  story  of  the  doings  of 
some  boys  and  girls  in  an  inland 
town  about  1850.  Among  other 
things,  they  search  a  mil-race  for 
lost  treasures,  write  prize  stories 
for  a  newspaper,  make  an  explor- 
ing expedition  in  a  canal  boat,  and 
'  unhaunt '  a  haunted  house.  The 
story  is  supposed  to  be  told  by  one 
of  the  number,  and  is  for  the  most 
part  humorous  after  a  boyish  fash- 
ion."   [Nation.  4230 

ROLF  HOUSE  [by  Lucy  C.  (Lillie) 
Harte:  Harper,  1886]  "  is  the  sequel 
of  '  Nan,'  and  shos  how  some  boys 
and  girls,  suddenly  left  orphans  and 
nearly  destitute,  struggled  to  sup- 
port themselvs  by  keeping  an  '  em- 
porium '  for  the  sale  of  fancy  work. 
The  story  is  wel  told,  and  the  char- 
acters of  the  unselfish  heroin  and 
her  brave  cousins  ar  made  very  at- 
tractiv."    [Nation.  4240 

ANTONY  BRADE.  [by  Robert  [T. 
S.]  Lowell:  Roberts,  1875.]  "The 
story  is  one  of  school-days;  and  the 


157 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


hearty  out-door  life,  the  hockey- 
playing,  the  trapping  and  the 
school-boy  quarrels,  ar  just  enuf 
seasoned  with  study  and  book- 
learning  to  make  the  picture  of 
young  life  all  the  more  real.  There 
is  a  harmless  little  mystery  in  the 
story,  and  a  good  deal  of  fun,  and 
if  anybody,  man  or  boy,  can  read 
the  account  of  the  disaster  on  the 
ice-pond  without  some  springing  of 
moisture  in  the  eyes,  we  should  not 
like  to  make  his  acquaintance."  [St. 
Nicholas.  4250 

ABOARD  THE  MAVIS,  [by  R: 
Markham:  Dodd,  ISSO.]  "  The  scene 
is  eastern  Long  Island,  in  the  de- 
scription of  Avhich  region  the  au- 
thor may  be  trusted  implicitly;  here 
a  merry  set  of  boys  and  girls  incur 
adventures  by  sea  and  land,  listen 
to  Revolutionary  and  other  histor- 
ical tales,  and,  what  is  the  crown- 
ing merit  of  Mr.  Markham,  behave 
and  talk  with  great  naturalness  and 
vivacity."    [Nation.  4260 

TOM  PAULDING,  [by  Brander 
Matthews:  Century  Co.,  1892.]  There 
is  a  quaint  originality  and  life  in 
this  book  which  make  it  a  very  en- 
joyable story.  The  scene  is  laid  in 
the  upper  part  of  New  York  city, 
the  days  of  the  Revolution  being 
skilfully  linked  with  our  times. 
Three  or  four  '  real '  boys,  a  girl, 
an  adventure-loving  Uncle  Dick,  the 
very  model  of  what  a  boy  would 
like  in  a  bachelor  uncle,  ar  the 
principal  actors,  and  the  seeking  a 
buried  treasure  is  the  main  incident. 
The  interest  in  the  hero's  quest  is 
more  than  wel-sustained,  the  last 
chapters  being  the  best  in  the  book. 
Tom  himself  is  a  manly,  straitfor- 
ward,  unselfish  fello,  devoted  to  his 
mother  and  sister— a  boy,  in  a  word, 
whose  companionship  is  worth  hav- 
ing, even  tho  it  be  only  in  a  story." 
[Nation.  4270 


THE  LITTLE  PRUDY  STORIES. 
[by  "  Sophie  May,"  i.  e..  Rebecca 
Sophia  Clarke:  Lee,  1865.]  "  Com- 
pared with  her,  all  other  book-chil- 
dren ar  cold  creations  of  literature; 
she  alone  is  the  real  thing.  All  the 
acquaintances  of  childhood,  its 
originality,  its  tenderness,  and  its 
teasing,— its  infinit  unconscious  drol- 
ery,  the  serious  earnestness  of  its 
fun,  the  fun  of  its  seriousness,  the 
natural  religion  of  its  plays,  and 
the  delicious  odity  of  its  prayers,— 
all  these  waited  for  dear  little  Prudy 
to  embody  them.  Sam  Weller  is  not 
more  piquant;  Hans  Andersen's  nut- 
crackers and  knitting  needles  ar  not 
more  thoroly  charged  with  life." 
[T.  W.  Higginson  in  North  Amer. 
Review.  4280 

NIMPO'S  TROUBLES,  [by  "  Olive 
Thorne "  Miller:  London,  Griffith, 
1880.]  "  This  is  a  capital  history  of 
the  adventures  of  some  most  trou- 
blesom  children,  who  wer  left  by 
their  parents  to  board  out  for  a 
month,  while  they  went  to  a  dis- 
tant city.  The  experience,  tho  very 
good  for  the  children,  must  hav 
been  rather  an  expensiv  one  in 
many  ways,  not  only  on  account  of 
the  number  of  clothes  belonging  to 
herself  and  her  mother  which 
Nimpo  contrived  to  spoil,  but  also 
from  the  number  of  articles  which 
she  obtained  from  her  father's 
shop."    [Saturday  Review.  4290 

LOTUS  BAY:  A  Summer  on  Cape 
Cod.  [by  Laura  D.  Nichols:  Lothrop, 
1889.]  "  There  is  no  climax  or  plot, 
no  story  properly  speaking,  but  an 
agreeable  mixture  of  life  by  the  sea- 
shore, useful  information,  moral 
teaching  by  example  rather  than 
precept,  and  occasional  quaint  or 
pretty  poetical  quotations.  The  au- 
tlior's  style  is  good,  the  book  shos 
unvarying  good  taste,  and  is  embel- 
lished'  by  attractiv  illustrations." 
[Nation.  4300 


158 


FICTION:— AMERICAN   LIFE. 


ALL  ABOARD,  by  "  Oliver  Op- 
tic." See  "  Novels  of  Amer.  Coun- 
try Life,"  No.  2m.  C4:504 

PAUL  DUNCAN'S  LITTLE  BY 
LITTLE  [by  "Oliver  Optic":  ISOl] 
"  is  adapted  for  English  readers. 
Paul  is  a  boy-hero  of  the  right  sort, 
and  prospers  in  the  world.  His  af- 
fection for  his  mother,  his  courage 
and  perseverance,  and  his  deeds  of 
daring  on  the  sea,  wil  make  him  a 
favorit  with  all  young  readers." 
[Lit.  Gazette.  4310 

SEEK  AND  FIND,  [by  "Oliver 
Optic":  Lee,  1868.]  "The  facility 
with  which  '  Oliver  Optic  '  turns  out 
books  for  boys  would  be  something 
wonderful  and  something  commend- 
able if  the  books  wer  at  all  hard 
to  make  or  good  when  made;  but 
they  ar  all  very  poor.  They  ar 
lively  with  incidents;  that  praise 
can  be  given  them,  but  the  incidents 
ar  usually  improbable,  and  often 
wildly  improbable,  and  fortunately 
impossible;  the  characters  ar  never 
real  characters;— nobody  ever  re- 
members one  of  them  Tialf  an  hour 
after  the  volume  is  closed;  the  sen- 
timents ar  painfully  vulgar;  and 
altogether,  tho  a  boy  learns  from 
Mr.  Adams'  books  no  one  thing  pos- 
sitivly  bad,  they  ar  not  to  be  de- 
scribed as  books  of  an  improving 
and  elevating  kind.  .  .  Such  books, 
whatever  Mr.  Adams  and  the  chil- 
dren may  think,  ar  worse  than 
worthless.  They  encourage  youth- 
ful impudence  and  '  smartness ' 
and  do  nothing  at  all  to  take  the 
average  New  England  boy  away 
from  the  Boston  Herald,  from  a 
young  American  belief  in  his  foolish 
self,  and  from  general  insufferable- 
uess.  A  single  one  of  Scott's  novels, 
a  single  book  like  Mr.  Dana's  excel- 
lent *  Two  Years  Before  the  Mast,' 
or  '  Tom  Brown's  School  Days  at 
Rugby '  is  worth  infinitly  more 
than  all  the  trash  of   '  The   Starry 


Flag  Series '  a  million  times  re- 
peated. Or  once  repeated;  each 
repetition  increases  the  otfense  and 
the  injury.  We  assure  Mr.  Adams 
with  most  candid  sincerity,  that,  no 
matter  how  little  harm  he  means, 
he  is  doing  a  great  deal  of  harm. 
In  '  Seek  and  Find '  he  stands  in 
nearly  the  same  relation  to  juvenile 
readers  as  that  in  which  the  Brad- 
dons  stand  to  readers  of  a  larger 
growth,  and  the  success  of  both 
him  and  them,  while  it  is  a  trophy 
of  triumph  to  the  writers,  is  a 
monument  of  the  misfortune,  to  say 
the  least  of  it,  of  their  readers." 
[Nation.  4315 

LAKE  BREEZES,  [by  "Oliver 
Optic":  Lee,  1878.]  "For  'Lake 
Breezes '  we  hav  also  a  word  of 
praise,  and  it  is  very  pleasant  to 
write  it,  because  we  hav  had  oc- 
casion, more  than  once,  to  join  issue 
with  its  author.  A  little  summary 
of  '  Oliver  Optic's '  literature  for 
boys,  if  we  had  the  space  to  giv  it, 
would  not  be  uninteresting,  some  of 
his  earlier  stories  being  so  full  of 
harmless  yet  exciting  incident  that 
he  earned  a  deservedly  foremost 
place  among  popular  writers.  Then 
came  a  succession  of  '  series  '  which 
ar  not  positivly  pernicious  only  be- 
cause they  ar  not  immoral,  but 
which  typify  some  objectionable  and 
precocious  youths,  who  achieve  a 
worldly  success  by  reason  of  a 
Yankee  ingenuity  and  a  vulgar  push 
and  self-assertion.  Nevertheless  the 
present  volume,  tho  it  deals  with 
the  experiences  of  a  very  smart  boy, 
has  nothing  objectionable  about  it, 
and  wil  be  found  very  lively  read- 
ing by  its  happy  possessors."  [Li- 
brary Table.  4320 

TOBY  TYLER  [by  Ja.  Otis 
[Kaler]:  Harper,  1881]  "  is  a  far  bet- 
ter book  than  one  would  suppose 
from  its  gaudy  and  unpleasant 
cover.    It  is  a  natural   narrativ   of 


159 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


the  misadventures  which  befell  a 
couutry  lad  who  ran  away  with  a 
circus,  and  is  likely  to  act  as  a  de- 
terrent on  other  lads  who  ar  wont 
to  think  that  the  canvas  walls  en- 
close an  earthly  paradise.  The 
'  living  curiosities,'  from  Mr.  Stubbs, 
the  monkey,  to  Mrs.  Treat,  the  fat 
woman,  ar  described  simply,  nat- 
urally, and  with  much  quiet  humor. 
We  hav  reason  to  believe  that  the 
vue  presented  of  traveling  circus- 
life  is,  in  the  main,  a  correct  one." 
[Nation.  4330 

TIM  AND  TIP  [by  Ja.  Otis 
[Kaler]:  Harpers.  1883]  "is  a  very 
amusing  and  also  pathetic  little 
story,  which  must  please  all  chil- 
dren, especially  boys  between  6  and 
12.  Tim  is  an  orphan  who  runs 
away  from  bad  treatment;  Tip,  the 
homely  but  faithful  dog  so  fondly 
cherished  by  his  young  master." 
[Nation.  4335 

SILENT  PETE  [by  James  Otis 
[Kaler]:  Harper,  1886]  "is  a  pa- 
thetic story,  in  which  the  gentle 
violinist  is  wel  contrasted  with  the 
manly,  unselfish  Jerry,  who  devotes 
himself  to  the  welfare  of  his  weaker 
friend.  The  scenes  ar  laid  partly 
in  New  Orleans  and  New  York,  and 
partly  on  board  a  brig  which  is 
wrecked  off  Cape  Hatteras.  Tho 
the  virtues  of  these  boys  may  be 
somewhat  exaggerated,  yet  the 
story  is  in  the  main  true  to  life, 
and  shos,  what  boys  in  other  cir- 
cumstances need  to  kno,  that  true 
nobility  of  character  does  not  de- 
pend upon  station  in  life,  nor  great 
charity  upon  the  possession  of 
riches."    [Nation.  4340 

KING  TOM  AND  THE  RUN- 
AWAYS, [by  L:  Pendleton:  Apple- 
ton,  1891.]  "  A  lively  story  of  boy 
life  in  the  South  before  the  war. 
The  writer,  whether  he  tels  a  true 
narrativ  or  not,  writes  with  intelli- 
gence regarding  boy   nature  and  a 


Georgia  swamp;  and  if  there  is  a 
little  mechanical  treatment,  we 
doubt  if  a  boy  M'ould  notice  it,  for 
he  would  be  too  much  interested  in 
the  story.  It  is  the  purblind  critic 
>\ho  sees  such  things— and  speaks 
of  them."    [Atlantic.  4350 

LADY  JANE  [by  Celia  V.  (Dakin) 
(Hamilton)  Jamison:  Century  Co.. 
1891]  "  is  not  a  child's  story  of  the 
ordinary  kind.  It  is  a  novel  in 
miniature  and  consequently  not 
suited  to  childish  minds.  It  is  a 
careful  analysis  of  character,  an  in- 
terweaving of  incident  and  environ- 
ment, elaborately  dovetailed  details 
and  a  local  color  which  one  does 
not  usually  find  outside  literature 
for  adults.  Lady  Jane  was  a  little 
girl  whose  mother  died  in  the 
wretched  home  of  an  unscrupulous 
French  laundress,  while  they  wer 
passing  throu  New  Orleans  on  their 
way  to  New  York.  This  old  woman 
concealed  the  death  of  the  mother, 
stole  her  money  and  clothes,  and 
took  the  child  away  to  another  part 
of  the  city  to  beg  and  sing." 
[Critic.  4360 

'TOINETTE'S  PHILIP  [by  C.  V. 
(D.)  (H.)  Jamison:  Century  Co., 
1891]  "  is  a  book  full  of  lively  inci- 
dents agreeably  told.  Improbabili- 
ties in  the  plot  ar  plenty,  but  the 
children  wil  pass  them  by  lightly, 
and  be  free  to  enjoy  the  pleasant 
picture  of  New  Orleans  life,  the 
touch  of  rather  transparent  mystery, 
and,  above  all,  the  satisfactory  end- 
ing, where  everybody  is  made  happy 
and  even  the  disagreeable  people  be- 
come amiable."  [Nation.  4365 
RHODA  THORNTON'S  GIRL- 
HOOD, [by  M..  E.  Pratt:  Lee,  1873.] 
"  In  Rhoda,  we  hav  a  motherly  little 
girl,  taking  care  of  her  small 
brother  as  wel  as  herself  on  a  New 
England  poor-farm.  They  ar  or- 
]»haus  about  whom  nobody  kuoes 
anything.    By-and-by.  Rhoda  gets  a 


160 


FICTION :— AMERICAN    LIFE. 


pliice  on  a  farm,  where  she  man- 
ages to  take  Jimmy  with  her.  They 
continue  to  dwel  there  several  years, 
until  it  is  discovered  in  a  curious 
way  that  they  ar  related  to  a  rich 
family.  This  is  only  a  ruf  outline 
of  a  really  wel-conceived,  wel-told 
tale.  The  style  is  simple  and  di- 
rect, and  there  is  a  pleasant  humor- 
ousness  throughout."    [Nation.    4375 

MIXED  PICKLES  [by  Evelyn 
Raymond:  Crowell,  1892]  "  is  a  very 
sprightly  narrativ  of  the  doings  of 
six  cousins  suddenly  brot  together 
in  the  farm-house  of  their  Quaker 
grandmother.  Their  varied  charac- 
ters ar  wel  delineated,  the  plucky 
little  Fritz  and  his  bright  sister 
Octave  being  made  especially  at- 
tractiv.  The  account  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  boy  invalid  is 
cured,  both  morally  and  bodily,  tho 
marred  a  little  by  the  improbable 
'  mystery  '  of  his  great  medical  his- 
tory, is  certainly  novel  and  interest- 
ing. A  little  romance  is  introduced 
by  the  marriage  of  the  delightful 
German  uncle  to  the  rather  sharp 
but  lovable  Quakeress  Ant.  The 
story  is  thoroly  wholesoin  and 
enjoyable,  and  at  times  not  a  little 
amusing."    [Nation.  4385 

HILDEGARDE'S  HOME  [by 
Laura  E..  (Howe)  Richards:  Lee, 
1892]  "  is  the  story  of  a  girl  and  her 
mother  who  had  been  used  to  a 
luxurious  home  in  New  York  until 
the  father  died,  and  then  with 
cheerfulness  and  grace  had  retired 
to  an  old-fashioned  house  in  the 
country  prepared  to  make  the  best 
of  their  altered  fortunes.  How  Hil- 
degarde  passed  her  days,  the  boys 
she  knew,  the  sewing-circle  she 
foi'med,  the  pleasant  environments 
she  found  in  her  new  life,  her  de- 
votion to  her  mother,  all  ar  pleas- 
antly recorded  in  this  little  volume 
—recorded,  it  is  true,  with  a  good 
deal  of  sensibility  and  a  display  of 


endearment  which  sometimes  seems 
an  affectation,  "but  with  an  instinct 
for  selecting  the  domestic  influences 
of  life  which  ar  popularly  supposed 
to  interest  and  impress  the  minds  of 
girl  readers."    [Critic.  4395 

GOING  TO  THE  DOGS;  or.  The 
Adventures  of  Frank,  [by  A.  S.  Roe: 
London,  1864.]  "  Frank  is  '  gen- 
teelly '  brot  up  to  folio  neither  trade 
nor  profession,  and,  of  course,  his 
career  in  life  gives  title  to  the  book. 
We  do  no  discredit  to  Mr.  Roe  in 
saying  that  his  hero  is  no  '  Tom 
.Tones,'  and  that  the  mantle  of 
Henry  Fielding  has  not  fallen  on 
the  author's  sholders.  Of  its  class, 
however,  '  Going  to  the  Dogs '  is  a 
book  of  more  than  average  merit, 
and  wil,  no  doubt,  find  as  many 
buyers  as  did  '  What  Put  my  Pipe 
Out,'  addressing  itself,  as  it  does, 
to  a  large  and  daily  increasing  class 
of  readers  who  take  things  for 
granted  because  they  see  them  in 
print."    [Reader.  4410 

.TOLLY  GOOD  TIMES,  [by  M..  P. 
(W.)  Smith:  Roberts,  1875.]  "Un- 
usual grace  and  vivacity  mark  the 
style,  while  every  incident  seems  ac- 
curately natural.  The  baby's  talk 
and  amusements,  the  boy's  rufness, 
the  children's  squabbles,  ar  all  de- 
lineated with  amusing  life-likeness, 
while  the  lessons  of  forbearance, 
kindness,  obedience,  independence, 
weave  themselvs  into  the  narrativ 
as  they  do  in  experience  of  whole- 
som  family  life,  and  not  in  a  forced 
or  didactic  way.  The  Browns  ar 
supposed  to  hav  their  home  in  Cin- 
cinnati, and  the  '  local  coloring.'  in- 
cluding some  account  of  the  devas- 
tations of  the  flooded  Ohio,  is  not 
without  interest."    [Nation.         4420 

THE  BROWNS,  [by  M..  Prudence 
(WelLs)  Smith:  Roberts.  1884.]  "  The 
children  ar  very  natural,  and  hav 
natural  and  real  experiences  and 
adventures,  in  the  relation  of  which 


161 


BOOKS   FOR    THE    YOUNG. 


a  general  description  of  Cincinnati 
and  the  country  around  is  given.  .  . 
It  is  a  sketch  of  a  wholesom  family 
life  from  day  to  day,  where  a  wise, 
kind  mother  keeps  the  helm,  and 
at  the  end  she  takes  the  children 
across  country  to  Cape  Ann  for  the 
summei'."      [Boston    "  Lit.    World." 

4424 

WHAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN 
EXPECTED,  [by  Frank  R:  Stock- 
ton: Dodd,  1874.]  "  '  Rouudbout 
Rambles '  was  so  very  wel-told  a 
collection  of  stories  that  it  was  nat- 
ural to  suspect  Mr.  Stockton's 
heaven-born  mission  to  be  writing 
for  children.  That  suspicion  be- 
comes a  fixed  belief  after  reading 
his  volume  for  this  year.  It  is  one 
of  the  funniest,  most  entertaining, 
and  otherwise  best-considered  little 
books  we  hav  seen  for  a  long  time. 
The  scene  is  laid  in  a  country  place 
in  Virginia  after  the  war.  .  .  It  is 
a  pleasant  change  to  read  an  Amer- 
ican story  at  once  truly  boylike, 
spirited,  humorous,  and  distinctivly 
American,  that  is  neither 
slangy,  nor  underbred,  nor  full  of 
impertinent  young  folks.  The  '  local 
color '  is  well  laid  on,  tho  not 
violently.  The  negroes  ar  plentiful 
and  deliciously  '  cullud,'  but  the 
book  is  not  overburdened  with  negro 
talk."    [Nation.  4430 

'among  the  lakes,  by  W:  O. 
Stoddard.  See  "  Novels  of  Amer. 
Country  Life,"  No.  3.  C4440 

CAPTAIN  POLLY,  by  Sophie 
Swett.  See  "  Novels  of  Amer.  Coun- 
try Life,"  No.  13.  C4448 

FLYING  HILL  FARM,  [by  Sophie 
Swett:  Harper,  1892.]  A  lively  book, 
detailing  with  humorous  minute- 
ness the  fortunes  of  various  young 
people.  Some  of  the  situations 
seem  a  little  strained,  in  the  writ- 
er's anxiety  to  make  her  story  in- 
teresting, but  there  is  a  healthy  tone 
throughout,  and  a  keen  sense  of  the 


amusing.  Boys  and  girls  alike  wil 
get  a  deal  of  honest  entertainment 
out  of  it."    [Atlantic.  4450 

WE  ALL  [by  "  Octave  Thanet," 
i.  e.,  Alice  French:  Appleton, 
1891]  "  is  a  pleasant  little  story 
of  a  fortnight's  happenings  on  an 
Arkansas  plantation.  A  Chicago  boy, 
the  spoiled  child  of  a  millionaire,  is 
brot  to  visit  his  poor  Southern 
cousins,  and  learns,  while  sharing 
their  busy,  unconventional  life,  that 
luxury  is  not  the  only  good  thing 
in  the  world.  Rheumatic  old  ant 
Valley,  playing  Kuklux  with  the 
help  of  little  Larry  and  the  docil 
mules  mounted  with  pillos,  cuts  a 
figure  not  soon  to  be  forgotten.  Al- 
together, the  book  is  brightly  writ- 
ten and  givs  a  vivid  picture  of  lone- 
some plantation  life."    [Nation.  4460 

THE  OLD  BATTLE  GROUND 
[by  J:  Townsend  Trowbridge 
(1827—):  N.  Y.,  Sheldon.  1859]  "is 
genial,  earnest,  simple  and  manly. 
Its  syle  is  clear,  idiomatic,  and  nerv- 
ous. It  is  a  novel,  tho  a  short  one, 
and  tho  it  deals  with  no  other  bat- 
tles than  those  of  '  daily  struggles 
of  love  and  pride,  and  hatred  and 
despair,'  which  since  the  world  be- 
gan hav  been  fiercely  fot  upon  that 
oldest  of  all  battle-grounds,  the  hu- 
man heart."    [Albion.  4470 

A  CHANCE  FOR  HIMSELF,  [by 
.1:  T.  Trowbridge:  Osgood.  1872.] 
"  All  Mr.  Trowbridge's  Yankee  sto- 
ries ar  good,  but  some  of  them  ar 
better  than  others,  and  among  the 
better  ones  we  do  not  place  this 
year's  '  .Tack  Hazard.'  The  idea  of 
the  story  is  excellent— the  finding 
of  an  old  trunk  of  counterfeit  half- 
dollars  in  a  log  by  the  boy,  his  ex- 
citement over  his  treasure,  which 
he  believes  to  be  genuin,  and  fhe 
bad  effect  on  him  of  the  gain  of 
sudden  wealth.  The  secondary  idea 
is  also  good— the  claiming  of  the 
'  treasure '    by    old    miserly    Squire 


162 


FICTION:— AMERICAN   LIFE. 


reternot,  on  whose  land  it  was 
found,  and  the  confusion  to  which 
he  and  his  greedy  nephew  ar  brot  in 
the  end  by  the  discovery  of  its 
'  bogus '  nature.  But  in  the  filling 
out  of  this  plan,  the  farcical  turn 
of  Mr.  Trowbridge's  invention,  if 
it  may  be  so  called,  gets  so  en- 
tirely the  better  of  his  judgment, 
that  he  permits  Jack  and  the  money 
to  go  throu  a  series  of  adventures 
which,  tho  possible,  ar  almost  on  a 
par  in  probability  with  the  extra- 
ftrdinary  coincidences  in  the  play  of 
Box  and  Cox."    [Nation.  4475 

THE  POCKET  RIFLE,  [by  J: 
Townsend  Trowbridge:  Lee,  1881.] 
"  This  little  tale,  tho  especially  writ- 
ten for  boys,  is  good  for  girls  and 
boys  alike.  It  points  a  moral,  but 
not  didactically  nor  offensivly.  The 
author  understands  the  art  of  ju- 
venile writing  at  its  best.  He  ap- 
preciates the  necessity  for  amuse- 
ment, but  he  means  that  amusement 
shal  always  carry  its  lesson.  The 
pocket  rifle  is  a  prize  offered  iu  a 
country  school  to  the  best  speller. 
The  composition  is  narroed  to  the 
two  britest  lads,  who  had  been 
great  friends,  but  who,  throu  the 
rivalry  and  jealousies  of  the  contest 
for  the  rifle,  became  estranged. 
Nothing  could  wel  be  more  interest- 
ing than  the  author's  little  book, 
yet  its  lesson  of  the  meanness  of 
jealousy  and  some  kinds  of  suspi- 
cion cannot  fail  of  its  mark."  [Am- 
erican. 4480 

PHIL  AND  HIS  FRIENDS  [by  J: 

T.  Trowbridge:  Lee,  1883]  "  is  the 
story  of  a  poor  boy  stxmg  by  his 
sufferings  from  a  father  who  was 
not  disturbed  by  debt,  into  a  keen 
sense  of  the  beauty  and  honor  of 
honest  work.  We  ar  glad  of  so  good 
a  lesson  so  forcibly  impressed,  and 
the  author  has  been  wise  in  not 
making  his  hero  either  too  good  or 


too  successful  a  lad  for  one  of  his 
education     and     chances."      [Critic. 

4482 

THE  TINKHAM  BROTHERS' 
TIDE-MILL  [by  J.  T.  Trowbridge: 
Lee,  1883]  "  tels  of  the  indomitable 
pluc  with  which  three  young  men 
defended  their  rights  and  conquered 
their  difficulties.  The  '  Tinkham 
Brothers  '  seem,  indeed,  some  years 
older  and  wiser  than  people  ar  apt 
to  be  in  their  teens,  but  we  lose 
sight  of  this  in  the  interest  of  a 
very  graphic  story.  It  illustrates  the 
self-assertiv  tendencies  of  Young 
America,  that  while  the  mother  is 
supposed  to  be  a  most  delightful 
friend  and  companion  to  her  chil- 
dren, she  for  the  most  part  felloes 
their  lead  and  supports  their  plans, 
instead  of  taking  the  place  of  guide 
and  gardian  which  would  seem 
natural  to  her  years."    [Nation.  4484 

THE  LITTLE  MASTER  [by  J:  T. 
Trowbridge:  Lee,  1886]  "  narrates 
the  experience  of  a  youth  of  18,  am- 
bitious to  earn  money  and  get  an 
education,  who  found  it  hard  work 
to  teach  a  school  because  he  was 
so  small  and  his  face  so  boyish  that 
no  one  could  be  made  to  believe  in 
his  ability.  How  he  persevered 
and  succeeded,  on  his  principle  of 
governing  by  brains  instead  of 
muscle,  is  racily  and  graphically 
told,  together  with  an  account  of 
the  manoeuvres  and  intrigues  of 
certain  persons  in  the  district.  The 
narrativ  is  spirited  and  the  sketches 
of  character  ar  capital."  [Boston 
"Lit.  World."  4486 

BOY  WHO  WAS  HAZED,  [by  J: 
T.  Trowbridge:  Lee,  1887.]  "The 
author's  other  books  hav  been  ad- 
mirable and  deservedly  popular,  biit 
this  one  is,  in  our  opinion,  the  best 
yet.  It  is  a  story  at  once  spirited 
and  touching,  with  a  certain  dra- 
matic and  artistic  quality  which  ap- 
peals to   the  literary   sense  as   wel 


163 


BOOKS    FOR    THE    YOUNG 


as  to  the  story-loving  appetite. 
Tlif'i-e  is  nothing  goody-goody  in  it. 
as  a  moral  tale  against  hazing;  but 
it  is  a  perfectly  plain  revelation, 
without  comment,  of  the  cruelty,  the 
absurdity  and  the  danger  of  the 
miscalled  fun  called  hazing." 
[Critic.  4488 

PETER  BUDSTONE  [by  J:  T. 
Trowbridge:  Lee,  1887]  "  is  an  al- 
together good  and  wholesom  book 
for  boys  of  which  it  is  hardly  pos- 
sible to  speak  too  hily.  This  author 
shos  us  convincingly  how  juvenile 
reading  may  be  made  vivacious  and 
interesting,  and  yet  teach  sound  and 
clean  lessons.  It  shos  forcibly  the 
folly  and  crime  of  '  hazing.'  "  [Am- 
erican. 4490 

DAVID  VANE  AND  DAVID 
CRANE,  [by  J:  T.  Trowbridge: 
Lothrop,  1889.]  "  David  Vane  runs 
away  from  his  stepfather's  shop  to 
his  imcle's  farm,  only  to  find  that 
farm-boys  ar  worked  harder  than 
shop-boys.  But  he  also  makes  the 
acquaintance  of  David  Crane,  his 
uncle's  hired  boy,  and  learns  a 
great  deal  about  the  art  and  mys- 
tery of  maple-sugar  making.  The 
couple  play  clever  tries  with  a  de- 
tectiv  from  Boston  sent  to  appre- 
hend the  first  David,  and  many  ad- 
ventures ensue  to  the  country 
David  in  town  and  the  town  David 
in  the  country."  [Critic.]—"  For  one 
thing  Ave  can  heartily  commend  this 
book,  namely,  its  warm  advocacy 
of  the  pleasures  and  advantages  of 
a  countiy  life.  At  this  day,  when 
the  set  of  the  current  is  all  toards 
the  town,  it  is  refreshing  to  read 
of  a  city  boy  who  prefers  work  on 
a  farm  to  being  a  clerk  in  a  store. 
The  story  is  interesting,  and,  at 
times,  amusing,  the  two  Davids  be- 
ing mistaken  for  each  other, with  a 
i-esulting  '  comedy  of  errors.'  The 
little  country  girl  Iluldah  is  an 
original  and  very  attractiv  charac- 


ter, as  is  also  David  Vane,  who,  we 
ar  glad  to  say,  makes  a  great  suc- 
cess as  a  farmer."    [Nation.        4492 

THE  KELP-GATHERERS,  a 
Story  of  the  Maine  Coast,  [by  J:  T. 
Trowbridge:  Lee,  1891.]  "  Mr.  Trow- 
bridge always  has  a  story  to  tel. 
That  is  the  secret  of  his  success.  It 
may  not  be  an  important  story,  but 
it  is  regularly  laid  out,  and  all  the 
parts  fit.  It  goes  without  any  tin- 
kering on  the  part  of  the  reader." 
[Atlantic.  4494 

THE  FORTUNES  OF  TOBY 
TRAPFORD  [by  J:  T.  Trowbridge: 
Lee,  1892]  "  is  a  vigorously  told, 
thoroly  interesting  story  of  a  boy 
by  no  means  perfect,  but  an  honest, 
manly,  self-reliant  yoimg  fello,  who, 
having  a  good  deal  to  fight  against, 
achieves  a  wel  merited  success. 
There  ar  few  exciting  incidents, 
the  interest  of  the  story  depending 
wholy  upon  the  way  in  which  Toby 
defeated  the  evil  designs  of  his 
enemies.  Most  of  the  subordinate 
characters  ar  distinctly  drawn,  as 
the  teacher  and  Mildred,  ar  only 
less  attractiv  than  the  hero  himself." 
[Nation.  4496 

ASCUTNEY  STREET,  by  A.  D. 
(T.)  Whitney.  See  "  Novels  of 
Amer.  Country  Life,"  No.  5k.  C4502 

BONNYBOROUGH,  by  A.  D.  (T.) 
Whitney.  See  "  Novels  of  Amer. 
City  Life,"  No.  199.  C4503 

FAITH  GARTNEY'S  GIRL- 
HOOD, by  A.  D.  (T.)  Whitney.  See 
"  Novels  of  Amer.  Country  Life," 
No.  30m,  and  "  Novels  of  Amer. 
City  Life,"  No.  244.  C4504 

ODD  OR  EVEN?  [by  Adeline 
Dutton  (Train):  London,  Whitney, 
188.3.]  "  Everybody  is  desperately 
self-conscious,  the  talk  is  very  '  tall,' 
-  and  the  phraseology  has  an  uncom- 
fortable effect.  .  .  The  story  is  not 
very  dul,  and  the  people  ar  not,  on 
the  whole,  objectionable;  but  it  is 
hard  work  to  read  it,  because  it  is 


164 


FICTION :— AMERICAN    LIFE. 


suffused  with   pretentiousness,   and 
conveys  the  idea  that  the  author's 
aim  is  to  express  what  she  means 
in  the  least  ordinary,   the  farthest- 
fetched  words  she  can  find."    [Spec- 
tator. -ioOo 
THE  OTHER   GIRLS,   [by  A.   D. 
(T.)      Whitney:      Boston,      Ticknor. 
1873.]    "We  hav  spoken  of  our  dis- 
like, or  rather  our  lac  of  apprecia- 
tion, of  Mrs.  Whitney's  books.  There 
ar  kinds  of  sensationalism  besides 
those  which  greet  us  in  the  novels 
of   the   circulating   libraries.      Half 
the  mothers  of  the  land,  to  whom 
Mrs.   Whitney's  books  ar  the  ideal 
of  the  mental  pabulum   to  be  fur- 
nished  to   their   dauters,    would  be 
lost  in  horror  at  our  heresy  should 
they  find  us  saying  that  those  sto- 
ries of  moral  victory,  evil,  persever- 
ance, and  all  the  gr&ater  virtues,  wer 
sensational— and  yet  that  is  exactly 
what     we     aflirm.    Sensational,     in 
that  there  is  about  them   a    noisy, 
hammer-and-tongs   method  of  exal- 
tation,   instead  of  a   really   forcible 
and   lasting    way   of    making   aims 
better     and     energies     nobler     and 
characters  stronger.    There  may  be 
in    these    books    an    incitement    to 
good,   but   to   compare   it  with    the 
tone  of  a  class  of  stories  we   like 
far    more,    is    like    comparing    the 
stimulus  of  a  spasmodic  camp-meet- 
ing to  the  earnest,  thotful.  suggestiv 
words  of  a  wise  and  manly  teacher, 
who  scorns  tricks   of  rhetoric,  aud 
impresses  by   his  own  power.      Of 
"  The  Other  Girls  "  we  hav  only  to 
say  that  it  is  like  Mrs.   Whitney's 
other   writings.    The   same   type  of 
girl  tries  to  be  useful  in  much  the 
same    ways,    aud    says    much    the 
same   things.    The    characters    con- 
tinue to  be  Mrs.  Whitney's,  and  not 
the   world's;   and   ev.en    their   collo- 
quialisms—shal  we  say  their  slang? 
—do   not   succeed   in   making   them 
like  real  young  men  and  real  girls." 
[Appleton's.                                      C450n 

1 


A        SUMMER         IN        LESLIE 
GOLDTIIWAITE'S  LIFE,  by  A.  D. 
(T.)     Whitney.      See     "  Novels     of 
Amer.  Countrv  Life,"  No.  149.     4507 
THE         BIRDS'         CHRISTMAS 
CAROL,  [by  Kate  Douglas  (Smith) 
(Wiggin)    Riggs:    Houghton,    1888.] 
"  One    can    hardly    imagin    how    it 
would  be  possible  to  write  a  sweeter 
story.    It  does  not  tel  of  the  feath- 
ered  tribe,    but   of   a    little    invalid 
girl  whose  sic-room  is  the  centre  of 
the  love  and  devotion  of  a  house- 
hold.   She  is  a  Christmas  child  and 
rejoices  in  her  birthday,  aud  it   is 
fitting  that  from  her  should  radiate 
briglrt  and  tender  influence,  not  only 
to  her  near  and  dear  friends,  but  to 
other  suffering  children  and  to  her 
poorer  nebors.  An  artistic  foil  to  the 
pathos  of  the  narrativ  is  the  humor- 
ous description  of  the  Ruggles  fam- 
ily,   and    of    the    Christmas    dinner 
given  thtnu.  at  her  urgent  wish,  in 
the  sic  child's  own  chamber.      The 
sadness   of   the   concluding   chapter 
lias    been    softened     with    exquisit 
grace  and  delicacy."    [Nation.    4515 
TIMOTHY'S    QUEST,    [by    Kate 
Douglas    (Smith)     (Wiggin)     Riggs: 
Houghton.   1890.]     "  A   book  to  win 
the    hearts    of    children    must    be 
something    more   than    a   children's 
book.    It     must     contain     elements 
which  ar  strong  enuf  to  last  when 
the  child  has  grown,  and  send  him 
with  a  thril  of  pleasure  back  to  its 
storied    pages  in  after  life.   .   .   No 
purer,     sweeter,     nobler     children's 
story   ever   was   written.    It  is  the 
story  of  a   good  boy   who   did   not 
die  young  or  lose  all  human  quali- 
ties." and  a  baby  girl  good  and  beau- 
tiful at  the  same  time.    The  young 
readers  of   the  book   wil   see   in   it 
the   manly  struggles   of  the   manly 
little  hero  to  find   a    home   for   his 
adopted  sister;  they  wil  revel  in  his 
quiet,  modest,  sturdy  determination 
and     unselfishness,     in     the     happy 
antics  of  his  irrepressible  dog  Rags, 
65 


BOOKS   FOR   THE   YOUNG. 


in  the  funny  remarks  of  lazy,  honest 
old    Jebe    Slocum,    and    the    serio- 
comic happening  at  the  White  Farm. 
The  grown  up  boy  and  girl  wil  see 
a  picture  of  rural  life  in  New  Eng- 
land, painted  with  all  the  strength 
and    sweetness   of   '  Ik    Marvel '    or 
H:    Ward    Beecher.    They    wil    ap- 
preciate the  dark  side  of  the  life  in 
Minerva  Court,  and  the  heart  strug- 
gles  of  Miss   Vilda   Cummins,   and 
the  final   triumph   of  Timothy  and 
Gay.    Jebe  Slocum  becomes  a  char- 
acter  which  remains  as  a  type  of 
the  old  time  self-respecting  Yankee 
'  hired  man,'  and  Mrs.  Tarbox  takes 
rank  as   the  typical  country  dress- 
maker—the local  Associated   Press. 
There    is    nothing    childish    in    the 
book,  yet  it  is  full  of  the  lafter  and 
tears    of   healthy    children."    [Over- 
land. 4516 
POLLY     OLIVER'S     PROBLEM 
[by  Kate  Douglas  (Smith)  (Wiggin) 
Riggs:       Houghton,       1893]       "  can 
hardly    fail    of   the   sympathy,    not 
only  of  younger  but  even  of  older 
readers.  .  .  Polly  Oliver,  portrait  or 
fancy    as   the    case   may    be,    after 
trials    and    sorros    of    an    untimely 
personal  nature,  makes  a  successful 
venture  into  a  hitherto  unexplored 
tract    of    activity    suited    to    young 
ladies  endowed   with  fine  imagina- 
tion,  a  little  skil  in  music,   and  a 
pleasing    personality.    She    is    sent 
in  the  first  place,  by  a  benevolent 
lady,  to  tel  tales  2  hours  each  day 
in    the    orphan    asylums    and    Chil- 
dren's   Hospital.    .    .    As    a    further 
development  of  this  pretty  scheme 
a    class   for    child's   nurses    is   also 
hinted   at,    and   visions   ar  thereby 
evoked  of  the  happy  future  await- 
ing   infant    minds    when    they   hav 
been   freed   from   the  terrifying    or 
driveling  inventions  of  the  unaided 


nursery-maid.  There  ar  also  some 
hints  for  ways  of  becoming  what 
the  charity  organization  society  puts 
down  .as  '  benevolent  individuals,' 
such,  for  instance,  '  buying  up 
splendid  old  trees  in  the  outskirts 
of  certain  New  England  country 
towns— trees  which  ar  in  danger  of 
being  cut  down  for  wood.'  "  [Nation. 

4517 
YOUNG  LUCRETIA,  and  Other 
Stories,  [by  M..  E.  Wilkins:  Har- 
pers, 1892.]  "  Miss  Wilkins  does  not 
dub  these  '  stories  for  children,'  and 
we  suspect  mature  readers  wil  get 
the  greatest  pleasure  out  of  them. 
Nevertheless  they  wil  go  strait  to 
the  heart— all  of  her  stories  take 
that  road— of  the  young  because  of 
the  inimitable  skil  with  which  in 
many  of  them  she  sets  forth  the 
fleeting  sorros  and  joys  of  her  little 
people.  It  is  noticeable  that  most 
of  the  stories  turn  upon  some  child- 
ish trouble,  keeping  in  tune  thus 
with  her  stories  for  the  old,  but 
there  is  more  sunshine  in  these  tales. 
The  humor  is  delightful."    [Atlantic. 

4525 
THE  FOSTER  BROTHERS  [by 
Susan  A.  Wright:  Boston,  Spencer, 
1868]  "  is  a  healthy,  agreeable  little 
book,  dealing  realistically  with  such 
events  as  occur  in  the  home,  school, 
and  vacation  life  of  average  New 
England  boys.  The  moral  lesson  in- 
culcated is  not  too  forcibly  pre- 
sented, the  best  of  good  nature 
reigns  throughout,  the  children  ar 
natural,— whether  at  Lawrence,  or 
Swampscott,  or  North  Conway  or 
plaging  each  other  at  home;  and 
altogether  we  can  praise  '  Cousin 
Sue '  as  an  excellent  writer  for 
young  children,  whom  she  evidently 
loves    and    believes    in."      [Nation. 

4535 


166 


Books  Not  Mentioned  in  Text. 


The  folloing  books,  not  mentioned  in  the  text,  ar  recommended 
by  ]Mr.  Gardner  M.  Jones,  head  of  the  Salem  Public  Library. 


Anatomy  and  Physiology: — 
Health  and  strength  for  girls, 

1884. 


Electricity : — 

Electricity       simplified,       by 

Sloane,  1891. 
Toy-making,  by  Same,  1892. 


Astronomy : — 
Eclipses,  by  Todd,  1894. 

Botany : — 

Fairyland  of  flowers,  by  Pratt, 

1890. 
How  plants  gi'ow,  by  A.  Gray,     Geogiuphy  and  Histoiy: 


Fishing : — 
Boy's    guide    to    fishing,    by 
Keene,  1894. 


1858. 

How  plants  behave,  by  Same, 
1872. 

Outlines  of  lessons,  by  J..  New- 
ell, 2  v.,  1889-92. 

Reader  in  botany.  Same,  1889. 
China  hunter's  club,  by  Slosson, 

1878. 
Coal  and  coal-mines,  by  Greene, 
1889. 

Cooking: — 

Aunt    Martha's    corner    cup- 
board, by  Kirby,  1887. 

Dress : — 

Lettei^  to  a  little  girl,  by  H.. 
vStarrett,  1892. 


America : 

Story  of  our  continent,  by 
Shaler,  1892. 
England : 

Around  and  about,  by  Ma- 

teaux,  1891. 
Short  history  of,  by  Ku-k- 
land,  1891. 
Greece: 

Story     of     the     Iliad,     by 

Church,  1S91. 
Story   of   the   Odyssey,   by 

Same,  1891. 
Retreat  of  the    10,000,   by 
Witt,  1891. 
Japan : 

Japan   in   history,    folklore 


16: 


BOOKS  NOT  MENTIONED  IN  TEXT. 


and  art,  by  W:  E.  ^^i-iflfls,    Mythology,  Teutonic: — 

1892.  Heroes  of  Ascard,  by  Keary, 


U.  S.: 


1883. 


Battlefields   and   campflres,    js^atural  History: 


Adventure 
1893. 


by  W.  J:  Abbot,  1890 
Battlefields  and  victoi'v,  by 

Same,  1891. 
Oldtime  child-life,  by  E.  H. 

Rollins,  1881. 

Government : — 

How  we  are  governed,  by  A. 
L.  Dawes,  1885. 

Heat: — 

Motive  power  of  heat,  by  Car- 

not,  1890. 
Story  of  a  tinder-box,  by  Tidy,    P^iotography : 

1889. 

Inventions: — 

Wonderland  of  work,  by  Ma- 
te<aux,  1883. 

Literature,  English: — 

Short  history  of,  by  Kirkland. 
Chaucer  for  children,  by  Ha- 

weis,  1882. 
Chaucer's  stories  simply  told, 

by  SevTUOur,  1888. 
Spenser  for  children,  by  M.  H. 

Towry,  1885.     See  Toetry. 

Meteorology : — 

Talks  about  weather,  by  Bar- 
nard, 1885. 

Morals : — 

Ethics  for  yoimg  people,  by  C: 
C.  Everett,  1891. 

Music : — 

Story  of,  bv  L.  C.  Lillie,  188G. 


Prang's    series    for    children, 
6  v.,  1878. 
Natural    Science.     See    Astron- 
omy,    Botany,     Electricity, 
Heat. 

Occupations : — 

How  to  make  common  things, 
by  Bower. 

See  also  China,  Fishing,  Pho- 
tography. 


in,     by     French, 


Poetry : — 

Ballads  and  lyrics,  ed.  H:  C. 

Lodge,  1880. 
Ballads  for  little  folk,  by  A. 

&  P.  Cary,  1873. 
Blue  poetry  book,  ed.  A.  Lang, 

1891. 
Book  of  fa.moi]s  verse,  ed.  A. 

Ptepplier,  1892. 
Child-life,  ed.  Wliittier,  1871. 
Child's  garden  of  verses,  by 

R.  L:  Stevenson. 
Children's  book  of  poeti'v,  ed. 

Coates,  1879. 
Lyra  heroica,  ed.  W.  E.  Hen- 
ley, 1891. 
Mother  Goose  set.  to  music,  by 

J.  W.  Elliott,  1872. 
Rhymes  and  jingles,  1887. 


168 


Index  to  Subjects. 


Academie  Francaise 898 

Ainos     615 

Alligators      550 

Anatomy,    compar 50 

,    human.     See    Blood, 

Bones,  Brain,  Lungs,  Stom- 
ach. 
Angling,   45,   1503,   1504,   1620,   1625 
Animals   [See  Alligators,   Cats, 
Dogs,  Elephants,  Mammoth, 
Mice,     Silkworms,     Snakes, 

Tigers]   

25,  1465,  1470,  2800,  2805 

,  stories  of     3601-3665 

,  stuffing    40 

,  trapping    hl955 

Aqueducts    990 

Archery     45 

Architecture     50,  90 

Arithmetic    47 

Art,  Japanese    610 

Aryans    2300 

Astronomy 2500,  2505,  4200 

Authors.    See  Biography. 

Automata      65 

Ballads     2350,  23S5 

Balloons      4225 

Banking     90,  2000 

Baskets      55 

BIOGRAPHY:— 

Abencerrages    1000 

Agassiz     305 

Akliar     425 

Alfred    785,  7S5k,  786 

Andersen      20,  295 

Archimedes    2340 

Arthur    773-781 


Astor  family    268 

Bacon,    Roger    2340 

Bayard    940,   941,   1232 

Beaconsfield      280 

Bennett,  J.  G 270 

Bessemer     2340 

Black  Prince    806 

Boadicea    325,  771 

Borgia     325 

Brown,  J: 315,  1850 

Burnett,  P:   270 

Cabot,  J: 1700 

Carlyle    280 

Carpio,  B.  del   1000 

Casanova  325 

Cavendish,  T :    350 

Caxton    817 

Cervantes    325.  990 

Charlemagne    1112 

Charles  1 837 

II 285,  842 

Choate,  R 280 

Christina    250 

Coles.  E:    270 

Columbus.     350,    353h,     590,    990, 
1016,  1700,  1705. 

Cook,  Capt 315.  350 

Cortez    2220 

Cromwell,  0 250,  837,  842 

Dampier 350 

Dare,  J 896 

Darling,  G 325 

Darwin   25,  305 

De  Ruyter    1065 

Des  Moulins     268 

De  Witt,  C 1065 

Dick.   Ro 270 

Dickens,  C:    280 

Douglas,  F:    315 


169 


IXDEX    TO   SUBJECTS. 


Drake    350,  365,  824,  825 

Duncan.  J :   270 

Edward,  T:    270 

Eldon   268 

Elizabeth   822-824 

Evelyn,  852;— wife 860 

Fairbairn,  W:    268 

Franklin,  B:   ..225,  250,  305.  1700 

Fulton,  Ro 2345 

Galileo   305 

Gama    350.  355 

Garrison.  W:  L 1850 

Gilbert.  Sir  H h.590 

Goldsmith  750 

Gordon.    "  Lord  "    268 

,  C:  G: 285 

Grant.  A..  (M.)    295 

Greeley,  H 268,  278 

Gustav  Vasa    285 

Hall.  Basil 295 

Harold 786m,  787 

Hauser,  K 325 

Haydn    1145 

Heine   295 

Henry  II 708 

V 813 

,  Patrick  20 

Herschels,  the     268 

Hodson,  W:  S.  R 485 

Holley.   M 270 

Hood,  Robin 794-799 

Hotspur 811 

Hugo,  V:     280 

Hutton,  W :    295 

Isabel  of  England    205 

James,  St 1000 

Jefferson    hl653,  1700 

Jinghis  Khan    430 

Judson   315 

Karl  XII 13G5 

Kingsley,  C:     280 

Knox,  J:   821 

Lemaire     350 

Lesseps    268 

Lincoln,  A 1700 

Linnaeus  305 

Livingstone,  D: 395 

Louis  XVII 896 

Lyell,  C:   305 

Macaulay    280 


Magellan    350,  360 

Maria-Theresia    1145 

Mary  II 851 

Stuart  821v,  823 

Monmouth  856-857 

Moore,  T:   750 

More,  T:   855 

Mozart  1145 

Nasmyth    2340 

Nero   771 

Newton,  I:     250,  305 

Olaf    1335 

Orleans,  duchess  (t,  1858) ...     265 

Osceola    h2056 

Napoleon  HI 315 

Parry   350 

Paton,  J.  G 505 

Peterborough  1020 

Philippa  of  Hainault    265 

Pizarro    2220 

Pliny    1216 

Pocahontas    1705;— h640 

Polo  410,  415 

Prescott,  W :  H 280 

Ralegh   824 

Richelieu  832 

Rienzi     1221 

Rupert   838 

Russell.   Lady   853a 

Schouten   350 

Schweinf  urth 395 

Shakspere    826-828 

Sidney,  Alg 852 

,  Philip 825 

Simnel,  J:     818 

Smith,  Gerrit     270 

,  J: 315,  h590,  1700 

Somerville.  M 268 

Soto    b590 

Spenser,  E 824 

Stanley,     A.  P 280 

,  H:  M 395 

Stewart,  A.  T 268 

Stuart.  C:  E: 325,  866-871 

Tacitus    1216 

Tamerlane    425 

Tanner 325 

Tilly    1135 

Tolstoi    1372 


170 


INDEX    TO    SUBJECTS. 


Torquemada    1016 

Trenck    315,  325 

Tyler,  Wat    807,   808,  930 

Tyndall    305 

Wallace,  W: 803 

Wallenstein    1135 

Warren,  Jo 20 

Warwick  814 

Washington,  G:     hl653,  1700 

West,  B:   250 

Whittington    813 

William  I 786p,  811 

Wilson,  C:    325 

Woolman,  J:    1850 

Wordsworth     268 

Zoroaster 2300 

Birds     55,  2815 

,  eggs    3005 

,  stuffing    40 

,  Canaries     2815 

Blood  150 

Blow-pipes   55 

Boats,  building    17,  45,  55,  60 

,  rigging     40 

,  sailing     40,  45 

,  house    755 

Bones    151 

Botany    2550 

Brain  151 

Bridges   990 

Buildings:— 

Alhambra    

Escorial  990 

St.   Peter's    1248 

Taj  Mahal    425 

Westminster  Abbey    280 

Camping-out     40,  45 

Canals    268,  4230 

Cannibals  505 

Canoeing   1520,  1625 

Carpentry     70,  75,  78 

Cats   3640 

Caves:— 

Mammoth  hl716 

Chemistry,  experiments 35 

,  profession    90 

Chivalry    935,  940,  941,  1332 

Christmas   125,  750 


Circus  life   4830 

Clocs    65 

Clouds  2600 

College  life    280 

Compas     55 

Congress     2005 

Conjuring 55 

Cooking    130,  131 

Cornstalk  fiddles   55 

Courts  in  U.  S 2005 

Digestion    .  . , 150 

Dogs 862,  2900,  2905,  4025 

Drawing  50 

Drowned,  resus 765 

Earthquakes    600 

Elec.  engineering 90 

Electricity,  exper 65 

Elephants    550,  2907 

Emigrants,  agric 1465 

Engineering.    See      Aqueducts, 

Bridges. 

Escapes    315,  325 

Eskimo    385 

Ethnology.    See  Ainos,  Aryans, 

Cannibals,  Eskimo. 

Exploration    335-80 

Fables    20,  2350,  3601-65 

Pairs: — 

Nishni  Novogorod    325 

Fans 610 

Farming    85,  95,  97,  1465 

Fiction   3601-3665 

,  Fairy  stories   3700-3845 

,  Fanciful  tales  ...3850-3915 

,  Impossible  tales   .3925-3950 

,  American    4020-4535 

Fishes.    See  Angling,  Aquaria. 

,  Amer 1620,  1625 

Fishing,  sea   114,  765 

Flowers,  wild   2550 

Folklore    2350 

Food,  chemistry  of 47 

Fur  trade    hl955 

Furniture  125 

Games,  indoor    35,  40,  125 

,  whist 35 

outdoor    

. ,  baseball     ....       45 

,  football    180 

.  hockey 4250 


171 


INDEX   TO   SUBJECTS. 


GEOGRAPHY:— 

Acadia    1450 

Afghanistan  700 

Africa,  central    395 

.  north    400,  990 

Alps    50 

Amazon    2200.  2205 

Andalusia    990 

Antilles     21.  50 

Arctic  regions 370,  380 

Argentina   2205 

Arizona 1680,  1685 

Arkansas     4460 

Asia,  central    410,  415,  700 

Australia    390,  393 

Austria   898,  1190 

Bahamas  1628 

Baiae 1210 

Balkan  states 700,  1375 

Bavaria    1125 

Bithynia    1216 

Black  Sea    700 

Bolivia 2205 

Boston    20 

Botzen    1190 

Boulak   405 

Brazil 2205 

Bulgaria    700 

Canada  1465,  hl955 

Cape  Ann   4424 

Cod     4300 

Capri    1210 

Carthage   705 

Ceylon     335,  555 

Chile     2205 

China     510.  575 

Christiania   1325 

Colombia 2226 

Colorado    4160 

Connecticut    22 

Constantinople,  700,  705,  715,  1332 

Copenhagen    1325 

Crimea  1375 

Cyprus 705 

Denmark    1300,  1325 

Dixville   Notch    1505 

Ecuador 2205 

England,    740,    750,    755,   760,   765, 
896. 


Ephesus     1216 

Ferrara    1210 

Florence    740 

Florida   1620-28 

France   896,  898,  900 

Georgia    4350 

Germany  1300 

Gibraltar 872 

Glasgow    505 

Granada    990 

Greece 705.  1375 

Hartford    22 

Hawaii    390 

Hebrides    755 

Himalayas 420 

Holland 1050,  1055,  1090,  1300 

Hudson  Bay    385 

India    555 

Indiana    4120 

Innsbriick   1190 

Ireland     755 

Italy    1200,  1210 

.Japan 510,  600,  605,  610,  615 

.lava    550 

Kansas    h2133 

Kentucky    hl716 

Lakes,  Great  (N.  A.) 2340 

Athabasca    1470 

Como    1210 

Maggiore     1190 

Moosehead    1503 

Rangeley    1503,  1505 

Lapland  1300 

La  Plata  2205 

Leyden     1072 

London    700,  849,  895 

Long  Island  4260 

Maine 4190 

,  coast   1500 

,  woods 1503 

Man,  isle    755 

Marocco     990 

Massachusetts    1550,  hl21 

Mediterranean 705 

Meran    1190 

Merrimac    1520 

Mexico    2100-2115 

Milan    1210 

Montenegro    1375 

Montreux    980 


172 


INDEX    TO   SUBJECTS. 


Moscow 


1375 


Mount  Desert    1500 

Naples    1-1^ 

New   Hampshire    1505,  1520 

Hebrides     505 

Mexico    1680 

Orleans 4340.  4360-4365 

York    City,    20,    1490,    4270, 

4340. 
State    295.  4225 

Zealand     390 

Niger    ^^5 


Nile 


395 


Nishni  Novogorod     335.  1375 

Normandy    ^00 

North  Conway    4535 

Norway    1300.  1325 

Nova  Scotia   1450 

Ohio h2103 

Ontario    14^5 

Pacific  Islands     500-505 

Padua    1210 

Paestum    1210 

Palestine     '''1'^ 

Paraguay 2205.  2240 

Paris    "O*^ 

Patagonia  2205 

Pennsylvania    hl766 

dialect 1'^ 

Persia    '^^^ 

Peru   2205 

Philadelphia    4180-81 

Pisa    1210 

Quebec 1450.  1475,  1503 

Rome 740.1210.1248 

Russia 335.  1350.  1375 

Saguenay    1503 

Sahara 99*5 

St.  Augustine    1^28 

—  Gothard  1190 

Lawrence  1450,  1503 

Petersburg    1375 

Salamanca    990 

Salem    hl672 

Scotland    'J'55 

Segovia    990 

Servia    ^O 

Sevilla   990 

Siam     550 

Siberia  1350 


Sicily    1210 

Smyrna   ^^^5 

Sorrento    1210 

South  America  [See  Amazon. 
Bolivia,  Brazil.  Colombia, 
Ecuador,  Paraguay.  Pata- 
gonia, Peru,  Venezuela] .  .  . 

2200-2240 

Spain     990.  1200 

Swampscott   4535 

Sweden    ' 1300 

Switzerland    898,  970-985 

Syria    '^10 

Terra  del  Fuego   --05 

Tokio  610 

Trov   "^^5 

Turkey   705,  1375 

Tyrol' 1155,  1190 

Valladolid 990 

Venezuela  824 

Venice     700,  1210,  1224,  1226 

Verona     1210 

Vienna '''90 

Virginia   Iil653,  44.30 

Wales     '''55 

West  Indies    2115,  2150 

White  Mts 1505 

Zanzibar   395 

Geology   50,  2605 

Geometry  50 

Goodworks  by  children     4515 

Gotham     ^96 

Government  of  U.  S 2000,^  2005 

Grammar    185,  200 

Shal  and  wil  ^'^ 

Great  Eastern 2345 

Guns    ^^ 

765 


Harbors    

Haunted  houses  4230 

Hazing   4195,  4488-90 

Health     4'^^ 

HISTORY    2300 

Abolitionists     1850 

America,  discovery   Ii590 

Battles:— Abu-Klea    330 

Barnet    817 

Boyne 861 

Calais     930 

China    585 


173 


INDEX   TO   SUBJECTS. 


Culloden    8G7 

•        Dettingen    867 

Flodden 817 

^ —        Fontenoy 867 

Killiekrankie    863 

Londonderry    861 

New  Orleans   1947 

-  Poitiers    930 

Rochelle 832 

Sluys    930 

Thermopylai 325 

naval    325,340,1900 

Black  Hole    315 

Cavaliers    844 

Chivalry    811 

Chouans    295 

Covenanters    846,  850 

Crusades    720,  722,  809.  1115 

England 771-895 

France    925-956 

Germany    1110-1155 

Gladiators    771 

Greece    1270-1295 

Holland    1050,  1076 

Huguenots 858,  946 

India  425-485 

Indians.    See  Redmen. 

Inquisition     990,  1016 

Italy    1211-44 

Japan 670 

.TevFS,  mediaeval    799 

Knights 809 

Mexico    285,  325,  hl803 

Moguls     425 

Moors 990,  1004-1008,  1050 

Norway    1330,  1335 

Pilgrims     h590.  750 

Pirates    325,  340,  1016 

Plague    847,  848 

Pompeii 50 

Puritans   h590 

Redmen,    22,    h590,    hl657,    hl672, 

hl677.  hi 71 6.  hl900.  h2050. 

Rome   771,  1211-1221 

Russia    1.360-1374 

Saracens    1004 

Scotland   799.  802-804,  830 

Siam     553 

Spain     1000-1020 

Tripoli   111803 


United  States     1700-2400 

Vikings    1333,  h2067 

Waldenses    1236 

Walballa 1333 

War,  Armada    1076 

,  Ashantee   398 

,  Crimea 1373 

,  Russo-Turk    330,  1375 

,  Thirty-years   1135 

— ,  Transvaal    403 

,  U.  S.,  1812,  hl803,  1805 

,    ,  1861-65    1900-55 

Housebuilding 65,  70 

Housekeeping  131 

Houses  for  summer 125 

Hunting,  45,  615.   1470,   1475,  1503, 
1504.  1620. 

Hymns    2350 

Ice-sailing    45 

Indexes  . .  .550,  898,  1200,  1803,  2205 
Indians.    See  Redmen. 

Ink 610 

Insects 2815,  3100,  3105 

Bees  30,  2815,  3115 

Butterflies   3100.  3105 

Inventors    2340,  2345 

Ivory   2907 

Journalism    100 

Kites 40,  60,  4225 

Knots    40 

Labor  question 2000 

Lacquer    610 

Language,  correctness  in .  . .  185,  190 

Lassoing 1680 

Lathe    65 

Leather  work 55 

Life-saving,  sea 765.  1490 

Lighthouses  .. .765,  1490,  1500,  1625 

Liquor  question  2000 

Literature.    See  Poetry. 

,  English    2375 

as  profession  ....     175 

Liver   151 

Living,  getting  a 85,  90,  135,  180 

Lungs    150 

Jtlammoth    2907 

Manners 175,  180,  185 

Maple  sugar  4492 

Mechanics.  See  Automata,  Car- 
pentry. Inventions. 

174 


pu<i^ 


INDEX   TO   SUBJECTS. 


Menageries    60 

Mice    961 

Microscope    2700 

Missionaries    315 

Money     2000 

Morals 175,  180,  185 

Motlier  Goose 20,  750 

Mountains    2600 

Mummies  405 

Muscles    151 

Musicians     1145 

Mutiny    315 

Mytliology,  Greek 1271-80,  2350 

,  Teutonic  .  . .  .1110,  1332 

Natural  history   [See  Animals, 

Birds,    Fish,    Insects],   25,   2750, 

2751,  2760,  2800,  2805,  2810,  2815. 

2820,  2825,  2827,  2830,  2835,  2840 

Navy,  British,  life,  343,  344,  862,  873 

,  U.  S.,  hist.,  1800,  1803,  1805, 

1900. 

,  life    105,  120 

Navy-yards    765 

Negroes    4430 

Nervs    151 

Olympic  games    2300 

Organs    65 

Panoramas    55 

Parliament,  moc    755 

Passion-play    1190 

Pearl-diving    550 

Peasants    1127 

Perspectiv    50 

Philanthropy.    See  Good  works. 

Photography    45,  55 

Physics,  expei* 55,  80 

Picture  galleries    990 

Pilots    1490 

Pirates    

Poetry,  2350,  2385,  2425,  2430,  2450 

Political  economy   2000 

Poor  in  cities 20,  505 

Population     2000 

Porcelain    610 

Printing    20 


Professions 85,  90,  180 

Property     2000 

Redmen,  life 1465,  1625,  1680 

Riding     887 

Rivers     2600 

Salons  898 

Savages    25 

Seafaring,  90,  105,  111,  120,  4330-40 

Seals    615 

Seashore 3000 

Self-support,  girls 4180-81,4240 

Senses  151 

Shipwrecs    340,  765,  2345 

Shooting 887 

Silkworms    2815 

Singers    268 

Skating 60 

Snakes    55 

Sno-shoes   40,   60 

Societies,   children's    78 

Sponge-fishery    1625 

Steam-engins    65,  2840 

Steamships 1490,  2345 

Stencils     55 

Stomach   151 

Strikes    2000 

Swimming 45,  887 

Taxidermy 40 

Telephone    30 

Telescopes   55,  268,  2700 

Tents 60 

Thanksgiving    125 

Tigers   500 

Toys    55 

Tree-culture     60 

Tvpe-setting    20 

Usury    2000 

Volcanoes     600 

Voyages 105,  110,  350,  380 

Walking   60 

Windmils   55 

Woodcarving     65 

Wrecking  1490 

Yachting    115 


175 


-^  R  A  R"y> 
OF  THF 

UNIVERSITY 

OF  y 


